Naruko
by I am Driven
Summary: FemNaru. She's loud, brash and exceedingly annoying, she acts on impulse and says whatever is on her mind. She has no finesse and she's too obnoxious. She's a tomboy, and the exact opposite of what a kunoichi is. So why are guys falling on her feet? Harem
1. Prologue

**I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

_**Naruko**_

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto is a very charming guy. In fact, despite what Shikamaru kept saying, Uzumaki Naruto _is_ your perfect lead in an anime and/or manga.

He is head-strong, determined, honest (when it really matters), kind-hearted, forgiving, a promise-keeper, has a knack for changing people and giving the hope and, basically, he is your typical knight-in-shining-armour. Well. Okay, maybe not. But you get the point, right?

So...

So...

_So..._

So what would happen if _he_ was a _girl_?

Answer: You would get this:

* * *

"WHAT GOOD WILL FLOWER ARRANGEMENT DO WHEN SOMEONE'S TRYING TO SLIT YOUR THROAT!?"

The class winced.

"Young lady!" the Academy Instructor berated, "A kunoichi is someone who holds grace and finesse-"

"Finesse my ass!" a small, 8 year-old girl yelled as she huffed and crossed her arms, "You teach useless things, lady!"

The class of aspiring kunoichi stared at the verbal match with great interest (and slight fear). Their classmate was bringing it with the kind instructor, and they marveled at how- at how… how much of a _ruffian_ the kid was.

She sure had nerve, they all thought as the academy instructor's face continued to turn into deeper and deeper shades of red.

"I bet you're all pansies, you lot!" the girl yelled as she mock-imitated a western accent, "Pansies, YAH!" she said, her accent now tinting Hollander.

"That's _it!_" the instructor yelled, her voice shrill and her face an interesting shade of red, "You will transfer to the Shinobi Section! I hope Umino tires you dead!"

"_Score!_" the girl yelled gleefully as she jumped in the air and did a little victory dance.

The instructor huffed as she furiously stalked out of the room… but not before she muttered something almost inaudible if the class was not so silent, "Break time."

The girls all squealed in delight, and as they rushed out of the room, Uzumaki Naruko grinned for all she was worth, her blue eyes sparkling with life.

* * *

"She is a little _devil_, Hokage-sama!" the shrill Instructor said as she huffed and crossed her arms in front of the Hokage, "she wants to be transferred to the Shinobi Section, and I agree! quite happily! She is brash, impertinent, rude and _so rowdy!_ She is the exact opposite of what a kunoichi is!"

They were in an informal meeting in the Hokage's office. Sarutobi mentally wallowed in woe as he encountered yet _another_ problem with the blonde explosive-note.

This _had _to _stop._

The Hokage could only sigh as the instructor continued to tick all of the ugly behaviour the little 8-year-old could possibly have. He stared at Umino Iruka with his usual indifferent stare, and found, with silent glee, that the scar-faced instructor was staring at his co-worker awkwardly. She continued to count off all of the pranks, disobedience and etc. Naruko had 'comitted' while the Hokage rubbed his beard.

"So, what do you think of this, Iruka-kun?" the Hokage asked, the red-faced instructor sputtered when Sarutobi interrupted her rant.

Iruka looked _very_ uncomfortable, "Er... I..."

Sarutobi stared at him expectantly.

Iruka sighed dejectedly, "I... I accept Uzumaki Naruko in the Shinobi Section..."

Bith the Hokage and the Instructor hid gleeful looks.

"Perfect."

* * *

She laughed mischievously as she remembered today's events; she fingered her long, blonde pigtails. She was finally home, and as she twirled the silky lock of golden blonde, she frowned.

Slurping another cupful of instant Ramen, she continued to mull things over as she grabbed another cup.

Her long hair would just get in the way, she thought, especially if she would be transferring into the Shinobi Section tomorrow.

When she finished her 7th cup, she finally made her decision. Smiling broadly, she ran towards her cupboards, "From this day forth!" she yelled as she raised the glinting object, "Uzumaki Naruko-pigtails will be no more!"

She tugged at the left pigtail, "In her stead," she ignored pile of blonde locks near her foot as she tightly gripped her other pigtail, "Will be the one known as Uzumaki Naruko! With short hair!"

Golden hair that used to be attached to her 8-year-old body fell from her grasp as Uzumaki Naruko stared smilingly at the pile before her feet.

She nodded with a 'hmph'.

* * *

"Good morning, class," Umino Iruka said as he smiled at the group before him, "Today we have an… er… new student."

No seemed to be interested in whatever he had to say, but Iruka didn't really notice, his mind was on other things as he motioned for the blonde standing idly at the doorway.

"This is… er… your new classmate" the chuunin coughed, "Please make her feel comfortable…"

At the mention of the opposite gender, the class' interest piqued. They stared at the smiling child in front of them with boy-cut hair, deep blue eyes, clad in orange shorts and a white t-shirt, and their thoughts were unison, 'She's supposed to be a girl?'

The… person… at the front grinned mischievously, her blue eyes sparkling, "Heh," she laughed arrogantly as she stared at the class with challenging eyes, "You don't look tough!"

Umino Iruka sighed when the girl pointed a finger at the class.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruko! And I'll kick all of your asses! Dattebayo!"

All hell broke loose.

* * *

Hey! Sorry guys, but I really have no promises on this one. I'm not totally serious with this story (but I think the plot line is rather good). I'll update real slow, if ever, and the writing will be crappy, the chapters will be short.

But if you liked it, I might change my mind.

I aim to please, I'm a prick that way.

Anyway, you might get a little shocked with what I have in mind for this story.

This is Driven signing out.

* * *


	2. Uzumaki Naruko

* * *

_**Naruko**_

* * *

"NA-RU-KO!!"

If the authoress were to describe the classroom that housed all the aspiring Shinobi in the Leaf Ninja Academy, the authoress would choose the word 'pandemonium'. Or chaos.

But 'pandemonium' sounds _waaaaay _cooler than 'chaos', don't you think?

Oh? Reason for said author's description?

Read the name yelled above.

"Nyehehehehe! Sorry, Iruka-sansei!"

A slightly tanned hand reached to scratch a scalp that housed messy, golden-blonde hair while blue eyes closed as a grin made its way to Uzumaki Naruko's face. She yawned as Umino Iruka's visage twitched dangerously.

"You shouldn't be _sleeping_ when I'm giving an important lecture!" he yelled as tick formed on his forehead, "You are now in the Shinobi Section, Naruko! Yet you haven't changed a bit from the-"

Naruko glared fiercely as she stood up, "I _have_ changed!"

"Have not!" Oh, _real_ mature.

"Have too! I have shorter hair, see!?"

To emphasize her point, Naruko yanked at the uneven tuft of blonde hair (all the while managing _not_ to wince).

Iruka sighed as all anger left him, only to be replaced by annoyance and the feeling of futility, "That's not the point, Naruko…"

"Bah!" she yelled, "I don't need your stupid lectures, Iruka-sensei! I'll _still_ be the greatest!"

She jumped over the desk as she made a beeline for the window.

Stubborn _and_ annoying? Definitely. Convincing? "NO!"

Iruka ran towards the window as the trouble-making 8 year old successfully booted out of Iruka's classroom.

"COME BACK HERE!" he yelled after her, "COME BACK HERE OR I'LL SEND YOU BACK TO YOUR KUNOICHI CLASSES!"

"NEEEEEEEVAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The class of aspiring Shinobi watched this all in interest before Inuzuka Kiba suddenly had an _awesome_ idea, "Iruka-sensei!"

Said person turned his glare at the brown-haired youth, "What. Is. It. Kiba?"

"Chouji used the toilet, and he needs your help!"

Umino Iruka considerably paled. This, however, didn't deter the Inuzuka's plot, "I think he said something about eating too much during lunch."

Queue in horrified expression here.

"CHOUJI! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU _NOT_ TO CLOG UP THE TOILET!"

Iruka ran out of the classroom, leaving behind a grinning Inuzuka, "Thanks a lot, Chouji!"

Akimichi Chouji ducked out of his hiding place as he smiled at Kiba, bag of chips in tow, "No problem, Kiba! Come on, Shikamaru! –munch, munch- I want more chips!"

Inuzuka Kiba jumped over his desk, followed by an eager Akimichi who was trailed closely by a not-so-enthusiastic Nara Shikamaru. All three ran toward the window just as Umino Iruka returned to the classroom, red faced and furious.

"Oi! Naruko!" Kiba laughed gleefully as they jumped out of the Escape Route TM, "WAIT FOR US!"

"COME BACK HERE, YOU BRATS!"

The _chaos that occurred_ above… -EHEM!- The_ events_ above occurred during Uzumaki Naruko's first day in the Shinobi Section.

And I repeat, _first day._

The authoress is now going to leave Umino Iruka to his doom.

* * *

8 years ago, due to an unexplainable cause, the 9 Tailed Demon Fox attacked Konohagakure. Thousands upon thousands of lives were lost as the demon's wrath rained down on the village.

The 4th Hokage, who will be forever known as a hero, faced the demon in a life or death battle… and died.

Upon realizing that the Fox was, indeed, immortal and considered a natural disaster, the 4th Hokage sealed the demon in a newborn baby whose umbilical chord has just been cut.

The baby's birth name was Namikaze Naruko, daughter of Konoha's Hero, and the last living legacy of the greatest Shinobi that ever lived.

Her father was the 4th, and he wished for his child to be seen as a hero. For, by just being born, Namikaze Naruko had saved an entire village.

But this was not to be.

Instead, she was given the name Uzumaki Naruko, and was registered as a war orphan. She was seen as the demon; she was detested, abused and overlooked.

She grew in the harshest conditions that are considered possible.

And now, Uzumaki Naruko proved us all wrong, and demonstrated a will stronger than any, stronger than her father's.

She lived.

She lived through the pain, the suffering, the loneliness… She survived it all without managing to kill herself.

…

…

…

…

Everyone else just doesn't know how to deal with it, though.

Seeing as she's at the top of the list for running candidate as 'THE BRATTIEST BRAT THAT EVER LIVED'.

* * *

_4 years later…_

"NA-RU-KO!! COME DOWN FROM THERE!"

"HEY! STOP CAUSING TROUBLE! STOP DOING THIS EVERYDAY!"

"Look at all that…"

Uzumaki Naruko grinned a shit-eating grin at the gathered Shinobi below her. She was hanging by a rope, her left hand was holding a can of red paint and her right hand held a brush.

Her short, uneven mop of blonde hair gleamed in the early sun as she addressed the crowd below, "SHUT UP, YOU IDIOTS!"

_Serves you right… you don't treat __me__ to well, either…_

"NONE OF YOU GUYS COULD DO SOMETHING THIS HORRIBLE!"

Her deep, blue eyes swept over them in a challenging manner, "BUT I CAN! I'M GREAT!"

The defaced Hokage Mountain stared unblinkingly at the Village of Konoha.

"BEHOLD: MY MASTERPIECE!"

And with those parting words, she ran.

"I'LL BE THE GREATEST! JUST YOU WATCH!"

* * *


	3. Genin

* * *

**_Naruko_**

_'Genin'_

* * *

She was running as fast as she could, and her heartbeat was noticeably quick; she could hear them thumping in her own ears.

For Uzumaki Naruko, there was nothing before her except the path that she would follow: a path of rocks and stones and was very, very uncomfortable. But she would follow this said path, no matter what, despite how rough it would become.

For she was desperate, oh so desperate to…

… get away from the stupid Chuunin that was running (and simultaneously screaming at/) after her.

What? You didn't really think I would start getting serious, would you?

"HEY, YOU BRAT! HOW DARE YOU DEFACE THE HOKAGE MONUMENT!?"

12-year-old Naruko laughed wildly as her blue eyes closed, "Give it up! You are _never_ going to catch me!"

The paint cans she was holding continued to spill its contents everywhere as she leaped from building to building, while her pursuers consistently chased her, red-faced and downright furious.

And thus, the notorious Uzumaki Naruko's daily-prank chase TM begins.

* * *

Twitch.

"THAT'S IT! WE SHALL REVIEW THE TRANSFORMATION TECHNIQUE, NOW!"

The whole class collectively groaned, while the hog-tied Naruko could only gape in silent indignation. Is Iruka-sensei _punishing _her? Oh, horrors! Luckily, Naruko was simply not the type to sit around and let _anybody_ get away with doing something like this to her (i.e. totally ruining her 'mood' and hog-tying her).

Iruka-sensei was _so_ paying for this!

While (the now-freed) Naruko silently watched her classmates perform the basic academy skill, she thought about getting back at Iruka, but decided against it. More than likely, if she pulled one more prank today, she'd end up scrubbing the paint off the monument herself! NOOOO! Her masterpiece is at _stake_ here!

So, when Iruka called Naruko to do the technique for him, he readied himself for something totally surprising… when she did what he _asked_ of her and performed the Transformation Technique _flawlessly_, he gaped.

Well, at least he wasn't disappointed: Naruko really _did_ do something surprising.

"Na-Naruko?"

'Iruka' looked at him in a politely curious matter, "No, you are mistaken," at this point, 'Iruka' smiled kindly, "I am Iruka."

Wow. She even had his voice _and_ attitude right. Smart girl. Point for her… WAIT!

"You- you…"

'Iruka' looked at the instructor with a concerned expression, "Are you… alright?"

The class boomed in laughter, while Iruka visibly tried to compose himself.

He coughed lightly before saying, "That was very good, Naruko… next."

She dispelled the technique and grinned widely, thinking that she was off the hook…

"Oh, yes. And Naruko? You're going to clean the Monument once class is over."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Naruko could only wail in despair.

* * *

She had shrugged her jacket off hours ago, leaving her white t-shirt and her lean, lightly tanned arms as Naruko scrubbed the paint (courtesy of herself) off of the Hokage Monument. She grumbled every now and then, her pink lips formed an adorable pout, and Iruka couldn't help but think that, despite how she acted, Naruko sure _looked_ girly.

Her blonde hair looked absolutely perfect on her, making her face look as if it were surrounded by some sort of Halo-like Genjutsu… and blue eyes to boot… she looked like an angel, really.

Oh, you are _good_, you little devil.

Iruka snapped out of his thoughts when he suddenly noticed the time: it was getting late, "Hey, Naruko! You better hurry it up! I won't let you go home until you get all of it!" Iruka said as he glared pointedly at the girl below him.

Stunning blue eyes looked up at him. Naruko squinted (the sun behind Iruka was too bright), her expression reminding Iruka of a curious fox, and yelled back at her teacher who was sitting on top of the Nidaime's head, "SO!? It's not like I have anyone to go home to, anyway!"

Naruko cursed silently before going back to work again.

Iruka looked at her, contemplative and suddenly solemn, before he made up his mind: "Say, Naruko…"

"What is it _now_?"

"How would you like to go for some Ramen after you clean this up..?"

A sudden tremor ran through her spine. What was this she was hearing? Naruko looked at the floor in shock, and she thought how weird it was when Iruka suddenly asked her. There was this light feeling in her chest, and she decided how nice it felt. She contemplated the feeling for a while, and noticed how much it felt familiar… If only she knew what it was…

Didn't she just make his life hell a few hours ago? She was sure that because of her trouble-making antics, he would be the receiving end of pile and piles of paperwork that would find themselves on his desk the next morning.

So… why was he treating her like this? Could it be that…

Iruka looked down, finding Naruko's silence worrisome, and he was greeted with the most breathtakingly beautiful smile he had ever received from her.

_It was __**gratitude**__ of the highest caliber._

"Do you mean it, sensei?" _Am I really worth your time?_

"Of course, Naruko." His answer was enough for both of her questions.

"I'll work hard! I promise!"

When the blonde had finished her job, both of them had walked over to a little ramen stand called Ichiraku's. When the bowls were already placed in front of them (and Naruko had already started eating), Iruka looked at his student strangely.

"Why did you do it, Naruko?"

She looked up from her food when she heard her name, and gazed curiously at her instructor, "Do what, Sensei?"

Iruka frowned at her, "I mean, don't you know who the Hokage are?"

Naruko looked at him as if he had grown another head, "Of course I do, Sensei!" She slammed her hand on the counter, "The Hokage are heroes, that's who they are!"

"Then why did you…?"

Naruko looked conflicted for a moment, her blue eyes a mirror of her uncertainty, before her mood turned solemn, "I…"_It's because…_

"Well, I'm gonna be Hokage one day! And I'm going to surpass them all! I'll be the greatest, Sensei! That's why!"

Iruka chuckled at her antics and ruffled her hair. Naruko didn't protest, opting to grin goofily at Iruka, but when his hand left her head, her hair once again fell flat.

Iruka looked at her oddly,"Naruko..? Why is your hair uneven?"

"Wha'dya mean? It's always been like that!"

"Well, it looks weird… Wait… where are your goggles? Did you take them off?"

Iruka looked at the space next to the blonde where, lo and behold, lay her white goggles. "Why did you take them off?"

"Uh… sensei? Can I ask you a favor?" She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, turning to Iruka in a pleading gesture, "Can I please try your headband on? Please?"

"Oh? This?" Iruka adjusted the forehead protector, "Sorry, Naruko, but these are for when you graduate and become official Genin tomorrow. Only ninja can wear them…" He looked at her slyly, "So _that's_ why you took of your goggles!"

"I want seconds!"

"What!?"

* * *

This is _it_.

This is the day she had been waiting for ever since she stepped foot in the blasted Kunoichi Class: _The Genin Exam._

Everyone was already in their designated seats, and most have already lost a screw or two in the head. Oh yes. They were very, very, nervous.

Naruko wasn't particularly standing out today, if you don't mention the fact that her hair looked odd. The left side of her hair was noticeably shorter than the right, a little fact that was hidden when she wore her goggles (when Naruko wears them, they push her hair back, making them fall into one pile, so it's not really obvious). And her bangs were framing her face quite cutely (don't say this in front of her face, though). But other than that, she stayed quiet.

… outwardly, at least.

_What the heck is taking sooooo long, damnit! Can't that stupid Iruka-sansei be any later! Oh, man! I can't to become Genin! I'll totally kick ass! Oh yeah!_

The door slid open, and the class held their breath when Iruka walked in. He was holding a clipboard, and Mizuki-Sensei, their cyan haired teacher, was trailing after him. Mizuki smiled serenely at the class in an attempt to ease their nerves, but most of them had their eyes glued on Iruka, breathlessly waiting for the test.

"Good morning, class."

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruko said as she waved her hands about, "What took you so long?"

A tick formed on his forehead, but he chose to ignore the troublesome blonde in favor of announcing the test the class was going to do, "Anyway, today is the day when you will take the exam to become Genin. This exam will consist of one portion only: the Ninjutsu Portion. When you are called into the next room, demonstrate the Bunshin no Jutsu."

Naruko smiled beautifully, _I can totally do this! Heh! Piece of cake!_

Uzumaki Naruko is known for many notorious things: her pranks and trouble-making antics tend to over-shadow her positive traits. Take for example the fact that no one knows of her near legendary _Chakra Control._

As the students were called one by one, the class gradually emptied until there were only five people left. Among these people were Naruko and a certain Uchiha Sasuke.

He was sitting at the farthest seat in the row at the back (the one near the window). His face showed calm (the perfect example of a shinobi to be) as his sharp gaze fell on the black sparrow hovering near the tree that was visible in his line of sight. He wasn't particularly paying attention, but when a melancholic melody reached his ears, his head turned so fast to the source of the tune that it gave an audible '_crack_'.

She was sitting a few seats away from him, located at the row in front of him, and her back was lined against the seat. She was twiddling her goggles this way and that as she hummed the tune…

It was the tune the village played after the massacre.

"Oi. Dobe."

She abruptly stopped humming, and her head snapped towards him: her face contorted in annoyance.

"What, bastard?"

"Shut up."

She glared at him. Hard.

"Uchiha Sasuke?"

Said person stood up from his seat calmly as he walked towards the Chuunin whose head was poking through the door.

Naruko's glare intensified, "Bastard!"

She could only fume silently when he sent her a smirk right before he disappeared through the door.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH! I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM!"

The 3 remaining people looked at her oddly.

"Uzumaki Naruko?"

So… who was Sasuke again?

She grinned and her smile could light up Konoha.

It was her turn! Finally! When her name was called, she skipped happily towards Mizuki and giddily followed him. In her bliss, she completely missed the look of pure loathing he sent her, and in her euphoria, the killing Intent that was compressed so tightly wasn't even felt.

"Okay, Naruko. Execute the Bunshin no Jutsu, and you will be officially registered as a Genin of Konoha."

"Oh yeah! Bunshin no Jutsu!"

There wasn't even a sound, and wasn't a single puff of smoke: the 3 illusionary clones materialized out of nowhere, in total silence and in perfection.

_Exemplary Chakra Control._

But no one noticed.

"Congratulations," Iruka smiled at her, he was so _proud_ of the little ball of sunshine! "You are now a Konoha Genin, Uzumaki Naruko."

She grinned and stiffly walked towards the outstretched Hitai-ate. She grinned beautifully, and accepted the Forehead Protector with humble awe. She looked at Iruka, who was smiling at her in that oh-so precious way (_the smile one would give a sister_)…

"Iruka-sensei! I did it!"

…and was rewarded with one Naruko on top of him, hugging him to pieces.

"YESSSSSSSSS! GENIN! GENIN! I'll kick everyone's asses! DATTEBAYO!"

* * *

Hey! An Update! Yeah! Hehe... the story is progressing rather fast...

Hmph! Anyway, I just want to make a head's-up on the lucky guys involved in Naruko's little fan-club... if you catch my drift:

1. Uchiha Sasuke 2. Uchiha Itachi 3. Sasori 4. Deidara 5. Sai 7. Haruno Sakumo (yup! You guessed right!)

Aaaaaaaaand... there are also these guys here: (they're still pending, though...):

1. Gaara no Sabaku 2. Rock Lee 3. Hyuuga Neji

Anyway, only one guy will prevail in the end, so until then, the HAREM continues! YAY!

* * *


	4. She Kicks Ass

* * *

**_Naruko_**

'_She Kicks Ass'_

* * *

She was humming happily as she exited the Examination Room, the Hitai-ate securely wrapped around her forehead. She was finally Genin! YEAH! After 4 horrible, horrible years of _slavering_ in the academy, she was finally, _finally_ Genin! And to make things better, Iruka-sensei was treating her to ramen again! Wheeeeepeeeeeeee!

Her hands were positioned behind her head as she locked them against each other. She was walking casually towards the exit, the huge grin never leaving her face, when she caught sight of Uchiha Sasuke.

He was walking normally (this meant he was walking in his usual arrogant, bastard-like way), and Naruko could make out the tied knot from the back of his head. 'Heh, figures' she thought, 'Bastard has to graduate before I do.'

Her mood soured a little, but she decided to ignore it for a moment, opting to bask in her euphoria. She hummed softly...

… While Uchiha Sasuke stiffened, and Naruko remained blissfully unaware.

He ignored her, and quickened his pace.

_Stop it with the humming already! H_e mentally screamed. It really annoyed him: having to hear something that was related to his pain... He mentally scoffed as he pushed the double doors of the academy open, _If only they could hear me now... squirming at hearing a freaking tune..._

The first things to greet his ears when he exited the building were laughter and gushing. Sasuke watched silently (and while he will never admit it, hurtfully) at the gathered crowd before him. They consisted of people of different ages, but one thing was clear to him: they were all groups of _family_. He gritted his teeth and walked away, all the while ignoring the yells and shrieks of the girls who noticed him.

* * *

_Where was he?_

Naruko tapped the counter with a bored look on her face.

She huffed and inclined her head to look at the clock.

Didn't he tell her to meet her there at 6? Well, the bowl of ramen hanging on the wall says that it's already 6:23, and ramen never, _ever_ lies.

"Why don't you order something while you wait, Naruko?" the old man (and simultaneously the owner of the stand) asked patiently. He had noticed how happy she had been when she entered the little stand, and he was also quite elated to know that Naruko had made such a huge accomplishment. He smiled warmly at her when she looked up at him, and the hitai-ate she wore around her forehead glinted slightly, "Haha! I could have gone blind from your shiny thingamajig there, Naruko-_chan_…" He saw the look on her face, and he laughed, "Sorry, sorry… Naruko."

"Heh! It's a good thing you did that, Oji-san! No one ever calls Naruko with a stupid suffix! No one! You hear? Ha! And this-!" she gestured haughtily at her Forehead Protector, "Is not just_ any_ thingamajig! It's _the _ thingamajig! It's the one, the only! HITAI-ATE _NINJA_ WEAR! Hehe!"

Ichiraku Teuchi laughed as he leaned over to ruffle her hair, "I get it. Anyway-" he was interrupted when a panic-stricken voice called Naruko's attention.

"Naruko!"

Umino Iruka burst in the restaurant, looking out of breath and absolutely haggard, "I'm sorry, Naruko, but Hokage-sama calls! I'll make up for it later, okay?"

And with that, he vanished as he jumped high into the air.

There was complete silence as Naruko gaped at the spot where her sensei had just been standing. Her brain was ever-slowly comprehending what he just said… aaaaaaaand…

"NO WAY! COME BACK HERE, IRUKA-SENSEI!"

No one, and I mean _no one_, crosses Uzumaki Naruko when she just graduated! It's like… like… skipping out on 4 years of her life! I mean, why the heck did she enroll in that stupid academy, anyway? It was 4 years! _4 YEARS_! 4 freaking years of bearing the Geisha classes, the STOOOOPID Kunai Throwing exercises (with paper! PAPER!), Taijutsu Form Memorization, Hand-Seal Practice, and all of the _studying_!

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, IRUKA-SENSEI!"

And she promptly jumped back after him, her Chakra-powered legs tripling her speed.

Teuchi Ichiraku could only sigh and shake his head. He scoffed lightly as he said, "Women and their stupid 'never-miss-out-on-an-important-event' rule, bah!"

His daughter Ayame had then proceeded to make the strainer she was holding (full of noodles and all) into a nice, steaming-hot cap.

* * *

Umino Iruka was leaping from tree to tree as he mulled over what the Hokage had ordered a dozen Chuunin ranked shinobi to do. Even a full 2 hours later, he was still in shock… and slightly numb.

He couldn't believe it. It was just… so incomprehensible.

Mizuki had been his friend ever since they were little: they were classmates in the academy, they became Genin together… became Chuunin together… they were just plain _always_ together! And to _think_ that he would… he would…

Iruka shook the thoughts out of his head as he stared intently at the branches before him.

Mizuki had played him the fool for years. He found it so hard to believe and yet… If it _wasn't_ true, then he wouldn't be looking for that traitorous Mizuki in the first place. He'd be with Naruko, volunteering his wallet for homicide.

He had to find that bastard… _TRAITOR_! The safety of the village weighed on it…

With renewed vigour, Iruka increased his pace… oblivious to the white and orange wearing, newly promoted Genin trailing after him with murderous intent.

His main target would probably try to make the beeline for it in the outskirts of Konoha. Well, as a proud and loyal (don't forget loyal!) Chuunin of Konohagakure, it would be an honor to be able to apprehend such a potent threat to his beloved home. Even if Mizuki had been his friend, comrade, team mate for years… what he just did was unacceptable!

There was a brief sound of what seemed to be a huge pile of paper, clothes and…

THERE!

A large fuuma shuriken had whizzed past him, and Iruka barely dodged the projectile as he swerved to the right. He slammed into the side of a huge tree as Mizuki appeared behind another tree a few feet away.

Naruko's breath hitched as she saw the (very) large shuriken nearly hit her beloved teacher. Her eyes widened at the sight… _What the heck was happening?_

Maniacal laughter filled the clearing, "Iruka! Why if it isn't my _bestest friend_!"

"Mizuki! What are you doing?"

Mizuki sneered as he stared disdainfully at the bruised Iruka, "You're just like the rest of those fools, Iruka! In fact, you were a fool from the start! Can't you see I've been using you? You're weak! _Weak!_ But I'm not like _you_…"

Iruka had already started to get up when Mizuki threw several kunai at him, pinning him to the tree, "I'm not an idiot like you are! This village is useless, always have been! And I'm going to leave it with this prized possession!"

"You've gone senile! What good would it do if-"

But Mizuki had already started rambling, "I was supposed to kill that Demon brat, too. Hehehe," he had this strange gleam in his eye when he looked at Iruka, Naruko noticed: the traitor had truly cracked. "She was supposed to die tonight! And I'd have left this village as a HERO! HAHAHA! But, _no_. She had to graduate! Konoha has truly fallen! ALLOWING A _DEMON_ OF ALL THINGS, TO _GRADUATE_! LET ALONE EVEN GIVING HER PERMISSION TO STEP _FOOT_ IN THE ACADEMY!"

"_SHUT UP, MIZUKI! NARUKO ISN'T THE DEMON!"_

There was a sudden, harsh-sounding gasp as Naruko staggered out of her hiding place, her eyes brimming with tears. She leaned against a tree for support as Iruka sharply turned his head towards her.

Mizuki didn't even bother hiding his glee, "Well, if it isn't the _demon! _Hello there, _KYUUBI_!"

Silence greeted him. Naruko was looking at her sensei... the one who had _lied_ to her, _deceived_ her all along, "Iruka-sensei... what's going on..?"

"Na-Naruko? What are you doing here? RUN!"

Naruko hadn't heard him, the sound of Iruka's strained voice, yelling out those 7 words were still ringing in her ears: "_SHUT UP, MIZUKI! NARUKO ISN'T THE DEMON!"_

"What is he... talking about?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You haven't been a good student at all, Naruko!"

She looked at him with fear in her eyes, and Iruka could only rebel weakly from his position, "SHUT UP, MIZUKI!"

"12 years ago, the Sandaime issued a decree, a law that everyone knows about... except you, Naruko." His lips were slowly inching upwards, the grin threatening to split his face in half. Naruko stared in confusion, "What law? And why... why can't _I _know about it?"

"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM, NARUKO!"

"Because the law was about _you_, Naruko... Do you want to know about this law, hm?" "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! _SHUT UP_!" Iruka yelled as he squirmed desperately against the kunai.

"The law is about Uzumaki Naruko..."

_What is he...? Why me? What's going on?!  
_

"NO! NO! _MIZUKI_!"

"...and how she is _truly_ the NINE TAILED DEMON FOX!"

It all clicked.

"NARUKO!"

Shocked blue eyes stared indignantly at Mizuki, "No... It- it can't be..." her knees felt week, and she finally buckled when he started to laugh. "HAHAHAHA! Don't you get it!? Haven't you ever wondered, Naruko, h everyone glared at you... hated you... _abused you?_" He laughed, "It makes sense, doesn't it?! NO ONE WOULD EVER ACCEPT A DEMON! EVEN IRUKA HATES YOU!"

She turned her head slowly to look at her trapped teacher. She wasn't able to register the tears in his eyes, wasn't able to register his desperate attempts to protect her because all she could feel and hear were her pain, and Mizuki's cruel laughter.

"Is it true... Iruka-sensei..?"

Mizuki stared maliciously at the blonde as he stealthily unclasped his Fuuma Shuriken. '_I will be known as a HERO!' _"DIE! DEMON!"

Naruko heard those words. And, as if in slow motion, she closed her eyes, slowly accepting the fact that she was about to die. It didn't matter. No one cared. Everything she's ever worked so hard for will never be realized... she will be alone, like she always has.

After all, she _was _a demon...

'_This is it. The world will go on without ever knowing I ever existed.'_

_"NARUKO!"_

She was roughly pushed aside, and the sound of pierced flesh greeted her ears.

Time resumed, and Naruko found herself staring at a tearful Iruka. "You..." he started as blood dripped from his mouth, "You were... always alone, right?" Iruka was already crying, and Naruko didn't know what to think... she was just so confused! "You were lonely... I understand, Naruko. You were lonely..."

"I know what it feels like to have... no one there to cheer you on. And when my parents died I... I realized that no one else really cared about me. So I... I made pranks just so people will acknowledge me... and my existence," his tears fell on her whiskered cheeks, and she remembered: _"EVEN IRUKA HATES YOU!"_

Was it a trick? Is Iruka-sensei really that good of a ninja to be able to act so flawlessly like that? Or did he truly... She looked at him with fear and confusion before she inched away from him... and ran.

"Naruko! Wait! Please..."

"Hahahahaha! You see, IRUKA?! She leaves you here like the demon she is!" Mizuki jumped down from the tree and roughly kicked the brown haired Chuunin to the side, "Now, to make my farewell truly memorable," he turned his back on him and faced the area where Naruko had disappeared to, "I'll go hunt myself a demon!"

"Mizuki! No!"

* * *

She couldn't see anything in front of her, couldn't even feel the tingling sensation of chakra coursing through her veins. There was only pain and tears as she blindly ran. She didn't care where she was going, all that was in her mind was turmoil... and the revelation of what she truly was.

She was a demon.

Demon

_Demon._

_**Demon.**_

_**Demon.**_

It explained it all: the glares, the hatred, the loneliness...

She was a monster, a murderer. She was the shame of Konoha, and she brought despair and pain to all the people of Konoha... of the people in _her_ village.

How could she?

How could she do that? What was she thinking when she attacked, anyway? And what..? why..? who..? how...?

She stopped suddenly and dropped to her knees. She leaned her back against the trunk of a tree and cried silent sobs that raked her body. She shook and despaired, and asked and pleaded, _why? why? why? WHY!?_

Then, through the haze of hurt she was in, she heard voices: "FOOL! HOW DARE YOU COME IN BETWEEN ME AND MY _PRIZE!"  
_

_"_The only prize you will _ever_ get, Mizuki, is _death!_"

"And to think I would be doing the village a favor by eliminating the demon!"

"YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HER, MIZUKI!"

"Oh?" he asked. His tone was sly and knowing, and Naruko could have sworn he heard the arrogance in his voice, "Then how do you explain what she did, Iruka? How do you explain her running away!? IT IS JUST LIKE THE DEMON TO DO THAT!" he laughed and Naruko cringed. There was just something so wrong with the way he cackled.

There was silence for a moment, and then, "You're right."

Shock. Anger. Despair. Hurt. Betrayal. Sadness. Denial. And the, "I can't believe he said that!" hit her. Did Iruka-sensei really believe that? Was he just like the rest who hated her? was he...?

"The demon would have done that. But _Naruko_ would _never!_ She may not have acted like a true kunoichi, and she may have goofed off a lot, but she is a loyal citizen of Konoha! GENIN UZUMAKI NARUKO!!"

Shock. Happiness. Joy. Wonder. Acceptance. Love. "I-iruka-sensei... believes in me..."

A scowl. A glare. _HATRED, _"YOU WILL DIE WITH THOSE THOUGHTS, IRUKA! PREPARE TO MEET YOUR MAKER!"

A clank of metal was heard, and Naruko was in front of Iruka in a flash, "Don't. You. Dare. Touch HIM!"

"Naruko..."

"HAHAHAHAHA! So the demon shows herself! This way, I CAN KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE!"

"GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT, _BASTARD!"_

He glared at her heatedly, "I'll kill you in one shot, _genin!"_

"Naruko! You don;t know what your getting yourself into! He's a chuunin! Just... just run!"

She didn't even face her beloved teacher, but merely raised her right thumb, "Believe in me, Iruka-sensei! BELIEVE IN ME!"

He didn't want her to die. He didn't want her to get hurt... "I... I believe in you, Naruko! I ALWAYS HAVE!"

A shit-eating grin made its way to her face as her determined blue eyes fixed itself on the traitor, "THEN LET'S KICK SOME ASS!"

* * *

Wah. That took a long time to write. Anyway, next chapter, I'll be introducing Haruno Sakumo!

Leave a review!

* * *


	5. Geisha

* * *

**_Naruko_**

* * *

_Geisha_

* * *

Uzumaki Naruko frowned pensively as she paced around her small room. She was wearing the usual today: an orange spaghetti covered by a white bolero, brownish shorts and, oddly enough, white sandals. She snuck a glance at the alarm clock at her bedside for the umpteenth time. It didn't matter, she still had plenty of time to spare. She took a step forward as she cautiously neared the mirror. Will she wear it today? She was afraid it would get scratched… she was afraid to risk her hitai-ate, of all things… not after what happened last night.

The memories were still fresh on her mind as she started to pace again.

In the end, she chose to wear it. She hesitantly grabbed her ninja headband (whose blue cloth had been replaced by a white one) and tied it securely around her neck.

She looked at the mirror again and shook her head, nah! This look would never do! She untied it and looked at her reflection thoughtfully. 'What if I..?'

She fixed it around her thigh before she scrunched her nose and hurriedly untied it. A blank look crossed her face as she stared intently at her headband, "where should I..?"

She turned her back to the mirror and tied the headband securely on her forehead.

Today would be a great day for the container of the Nine-Tailed Fox, she thought as she smiled softly. Her light footsteps echoed around the room before a 'click' was heard.

Naruko Uzumaki stepped out of her apartment with a spring in her steps: nothing would get her down today!

A few minutes later, Naruko had already arrived in the academy as she surveyed the classroom. More than half of the class had already arrived, and she had the sudden urge to do something… stupid, but she controlled herself as she remembered what Iruka-sensei had told her last night: _"I believe in you, Naruko."_

He won't regret it, "That's a promise," she mumbled as she quietly sat on a seat at the back of the room, unknowingly placing herself next to none other that Shino Aburame.

Shino turned his head slightly to look at the brooding blonde next to him and briefly wondered what was wrong. Despite what a majority of the population think, Shino was, in reality, a sensitive guy… In his weird and overly creepy way, that is. But still, he was generally nice. So, as the 'nice guy' Shino is, he wanted to ask Naruko what was wrong. He was about to open his mouth when a loud voice from the doorway captured his attention.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

Ah yes, Ino Yamanaka: Blonde bimbo extraordinaire, self-proclaimed president of the Sasuke Uchiha Fan Club, only child of the Yamanaka Clan's Head, and (once again) self-proclaimed 'Most Beautiful and Sexy Kunoichi'. Bah. Titles are so over-rated, anyway.

She walked (desperately ran was more like it) towards the last (loyal?) Uchiha as said brunette scowled.

"May I sit next to you today?"

She had totally ignored the fact that Uchiha Sasuke was sitting right next to Shino Aburame… who was sitting next to a sleeping Naruko.

Shino was hurt. Really, he was, "I'm sorry, Yamanaka-san, but there are no more seats-"

Ino was totally wrapped up in her own little fantasy as she blatantly ignored the quiet Aburame, "May I, Sasuke-kun?"

At the front of the class, a boy with peculiar pink hair and green eyes winced. Ino-chan was being highly persistent today…

"Class, settle down please."

And they did. Silence reigned in the classroom as a limping Iruka made his way to the front. His voice sounded oddly used. Apart from that, his arm was in a cast and, although nobody could see it, his torso was wrapped in bandages. He grimaced in pain when an ache suddenly shot up in his chest, but he hid it with a smile instead.

It made his face look oddly constipated as he tried to smile (even though it was clearly against his will).

Someone coughed.

"All right, now that everybody is here- Ino, stop shoving Shino off of his seat and return to yours- we will now begin with Team Assignments."

A fully awake Naruko had yelled, "What!? Team Assignments?"

Iruka fixed a glare in her direction, "As I was saying, the Team Assignments will be permanent until a member (or more) is prematurely terminated, demoted or promoted. And yes, Kiba, when I say 'prematurely terminated' I meant 'dies/die'."

Kiba hid his anxiety by shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Akamaru whined softly on top of the Genin's head to show his own feelings.

"A team will consist of 3 members who have been handpicked by the Hokage himself. Those three Genin will be assigned to a Jounin Team Leader. The Jounin will also act as your sensei and mentor until such a time when you are be promoted/demoted."

People had started to loose interest now.

Iruka could only sigh in exasperation at his students' actions, "Now, on to team assignments."

Everyone perked up again as Iruka inwardly laughed, "Team One (Ichi) is…"

Haruno Sakumo stared at Iruka with silent determination, 'Please let me be on a Team with Ino-chan…' He stole a glance at the blonde's direction, and he blushed, 'Then she'll see how great I really am!'

Sakumo was a shy boy with a civilian background. He had green irises set in rectangular eyes, a pointed chin, and a boyish face. He had pink hair (a trait he has great shame in) that was cut short. He wore a red shirt and khaki shorts. The standard blue sandals were worn on his feet, and a kunai holster was wrapped tightly around his right thigh.

Sakumo was polite (almost painfully so) and he had the tendency to stutter when backed into a corner. He was a smart kid, but he was physically weak. This, coupled with his personality, had landed him almost at the bottom of the class.

Being in the shinobi Section meant more Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. He was fairly good at Ninjutsu, but Taijutsu…?

He could still remember the bruise Takanari had given him a month ago…

His aim was perfect, though, and he had a weird inkling towards anything sharp and pointy… that was why his kunai holster was slightly larger than average: a bigger holster meant _more_ things sharp and pointy.

Iruka had paused a bit after he read the members of Team Roku (Six). _'God bless the Jounin of __**this**__ one', _"Team Seven (Shichi): Uchiha Sasuke,"

Almost all of the female population leaned in anticipation, and Ino had already closed her eyes in silent prayer, '_Please oh please oh please…'_

"Haruno Sakumo,"

Sakumo's face had drained of all colour, _'No! Not him! Anyone but him!'_

"_**I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT !#& GOOD FOR NOTHING SON-OF-A-!# HOKAGE HAD PAIRED US WITH THAT !#&!!"**_

"…and…"

It was inevitable, Iruka thought with a silent sigh as he looked at his eager (female) students, "Uzumaki Naruko."

The loud 'WHAT!?' could be heard all the way to Suna.

Haruno Sakumo slumped in his seat, '_This has to be the __**worst**__ day in my life!_'

"_**NO DUH!"**_

Uzumaki Naruko stood in defiance, "Why am I paired with _him!"_

"Yeah!" an equally loud voice yelled, "Why is _she_ paired with Sasuke-kun!"

"WHY THE HECK AM I PAIRED WITH _THEM!?"_

And the class fell silent as they stared at the usually silent boy. His livid green eyes stared accusingly at Iruka as he pointed a finger at Sasuke and Naruko spontaneously.

Honestly! To be paired with Ino-chan's center of affection is like a slap to the face! And to make it worst… he sent a sidelong glance at Uzumaki Naruko, and shuddered. 'She has to be the most..!'

"SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!"

Sakumo and Naruko instantly sat down in their seats.

"Sakumo! You are almost at the bottom in the class! Your Taijutsu and Genjutsu scores are pathetic! You have been paired with the Top Rookie and _Kunoichi_ of the Year to balance out the team, and further mo-"

There was something oddly fishy about what Iruka said.

Top Rookie and Kunoichi….

Kunoichi…

Uzumaki Naruko..!?

**Top Kunoichi of the Year..!?**

"NARUKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! _HER!? TOP KUNOICHI!?_" Ino's shriek resonated in the classroom as everyone shared looks of equal disbelief.

Umino Iruka was, at the moment, ready to explode.

* * *

The Hokage Tower was situated at the heart of Konoha. This has been made so for several reasons. But right now, the Third Hokage assumed, the most important of these reasons was because it allowed him access to every part of the city in his Crystal Ball.

The Academy was, particularly, very lively today.

He closed his eyes briefly as he turned to look at the 9 gathered jounin before him. When he opened them again, though, all of them were looking at him expectantly.

He coughed lightly before speaking, "I have gathered all of you here today to remind you of your duties. Your task is to evaluate the 27 graduates, and judge them justly, if they are fit to be accepted in the Shinobi Ranks as Genin," he gestured casually towards the ball, "As you can see, this year's batch of Genin are quite… interesting." _'And loud.' _Everyone added as an afterthought.

"Need I not remind you that the test will be either five: Bell Test, Circle Test, Survival Test, 'Tag' Test and 'Freestyle' Test. Provided that the last method mentioned is based on the standard criteria in judging."

He gave Anko Mitarashi a pointed look before continuing, "Deadline for evaluation will be tomorrow at 9 am. You have already received your respective data about this mission, and if there are no more questions..?"

"Er…" a jounin hesitantly said as he raised a hand, "Kunoichi of the Year, sir..?" he said as he pointed to the Crystal Ball where Naruko's red face was visible.

"_Hey! I worked hard for that title, you-!"_

* * *

"Hey!" she yelled as she shook a fist in Ino's direction, "I worked hard for that title, you little-!"

"HA! AS IF!" Ino haughtily flipped her hair, "Everyone _knows _how _I_ should get that title! There has _obviously _been a _mistake!_"

Ino Yamanaka sent a spine-shivering glare in the Chuunin's direction, "_Right, Iruka-sensei?"_

"I'm sorry, Ino," at this, the Yamanaka's jaw _dropped_, "But Naruko rightly earned 'Kunoichi of the Year'."

"WHY!?"

* * *

"When Naruko was accepted into the _Shinobi _Section around 4 years ago," the Hokage explained to the disbelieving Jounin, "Naturally, there were some who were against it."

"Due to the… _persistence_ of the Kunoichi Instructor (who claimed how Uzumaki Naruko will and _should_ never, ever, ever, _ever_ set foot in her class again), Naruko was allowed to remain in the Shinobi Section provided that she enrols in Geisha classes as well."

"_Geisha_? You mean-"

* * *

"That's right, Ino. Naruko had to go through another class just so she could stay in the Shinobi Section."

The Geisha Classes were given as an elective to the Kunoichi who were in their 3rd Year. However, due to certain… factors (-cough-Sasuke Uchiha-cough-) all of the Kunoichi chose to stay and continue in Ninja Training.

"Why would Naruko do all that just so she could get out of the Kunoichi classes?" Ino asked. She suddenly turned towards said blonde as she sent her a righteous glare, "YOU JUST WANT TO BE CLOSE TO SASUKE-KUN, DON'T YOU!?"

"YEAH, RIGHT! I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO END UP LIKE YOU, YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A NINJA!"

"AT LEAST _I'M_ NOT TRAINING TO BE A _SLUT!_"

"GEISHA CLASSES ARE JUST ACTING CLASSES WITH A FANCIER NAME, MORON!"

"YOU CAN'T EVEN _REALLY _BE KUNOICHI OF THE YEAR! YOU AREN'T EVEN _IN _THE KUNOICHI CLASSES!"

Both blondes looked ready to jump at each other before Iruka-sensei had intervened, "**SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!"**

* * *

"She took Geisha Classes?" Kurenai Yuuhi asked with slight interest, "Was she any good?"

The Hokage smiled a strange smile as he answered her question, "She was exceptional, actually."

"Yeah, but," Shiranui Genma said with the same, incredulous look in his eyes, "Wasn't Naruko a… troublemaker?"

"Yes, but she was a very talented and hardworking troublemaker."

* * *

Uzumaki Naruko whined while she nursed her bruised forehead, "Why am _I_ the only one who gets the whack, Iruka-sensei…?"

Iruka looked menacingly at her, "Why? Do you want another one?"

She shook her head.

The tired Chuunin sent the class another glare before he spoke, "Naruko was chosen as K.o.t.Y because of these reasons: among the graduating Kunoichi this year, Naruko was the best in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu and Taijutsu. Alongside all of those, she was commended by her Geisha Instructor."

There were several 'pops' as jaws dropped to the floor.

Iruka sighed tiredly, "Well, that took a long time."

Haruno Sakumo was getting more and more depressed by the minute. He grew even more desperate when he saw Naruko send a smug smile towards his crush's direction, 'Ino-chan will _never_ notice me _now_. Not with Uchiha and Uzumaki…'

"Anyway, Team 8 (Hachi): Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba. Team Nine (Kyuu) is still on active roster. This group consists of last year's graduates. Finally, Team Ten (Ju): Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Chouji."

"GREAT! JUST GREAT! I'M IN LAZY AND SIR EATS-A-LOT'S GROUP! ARGH!"

"Ino, please… JUST SHUT UP!"

Ino blushed before she dejectedly banged her head on her desk.

Iruka glared at his students before coughing into his hand, "Now, have your lunch break and be back here at 1 pm sharp. You will then be introduced to your Jounin-sensei. Congratulations once again, Genin of Konoha, and good luck."

* * *

The Hokage beamed as he clasped his hands together, "Now that you have been briefed about your current assignment, you will report to the Academy at 1. You are dismissed."

There was a flurry of leaves as the Jounin in the room teleported via shunshin. All but 1 left the room.

"Kakashi," the Hokage turned to the addressed man and motioned for him to come closer, "What I am about to show you is not noted in Uzumaki Naruko's file. This information, however, will be very useful."

"Oh?" Hatake Kakashi asked, seemingly uninterested as he fixed a lazy eye at the Hokage, "How so, Hokage-sama?"

The Hokage whispered something as the crystal ball began change in color…

"It is best if you I show you."

Kakashi watched the ball intently as he slowly closed his trademark orange book: Uzumaki Naruko's visage was clearly shown as she battled against Mizuki…

* * *

"You arrogant little Genin!" Mizuki taunted, "How can you ever hope to defeat someone like me, Someone who is clearly faster, stronger and smarter than you!"

_Chakra strings. An art of Geisha: Learning the Samisen Exercise._

She threw shuriken at him as her ex-teacher jumped, twisting and turning in the air. He grunted as Naruko kept throwing him shuriken.

_Throw, jump, twist, land._ The process kept repeating itself, and Mizuki, like the fool he was, never noticed the pattern…

Naruko's fingers twitched.

The scroll was heavy, and Mizuki knew that it would be best if he ran now so that he would be able to get away. His eyes flickered briefly towards the injured Iruka before they once again settled back to the blonde before him.

'No,' he thought, 'I have waited too long for an opportunity to kill the demon!'

He smiled sardonically at the prospect of Naruko's death by his hands, and slowly let the Scroll of Sealing fall of his shoulders. He turned his head slightly to the left as he took his time to unclasp the precious artifact from his body.

Naruko's fingers twitched.

Naruko instantly moved towards him, a look of intense concentration on her face before Mizuki laughed and kicked her in the face. There was a grunt of pain as Naruko roughly met with the ground.

Her fingers twitched.

A worried Iruka screamed before wincing at his broken ribs.

"Give up, demon," Mizuki said as he instantly appeared in front of her, kicking her roughly in the back as she once again soared through the air, "You're too _weak_!"

He was stronger than her, but it wouldn't matter…

"SHUT UP!" she yelled, "I'm NOT- ARGH!"

Laughter. Maniacal laughter. He was taunting her, obviously enjoying her pain.

Naruko landed roughly right next to the scroll. Her fingers twitched as she stood up painfully.

Mizuki laughed once again…

And she smirked triumphantly from her crouched position.

"Did you know, _you bastard_, that I play the samisen?" Naruko said as she slowly stood up.

"Are you saying your last words, Demon? Finally accepted the fact that you're going to _die_?!"

"It's quite… interesting, really. Have you seen one, a samisen?"

"What do you take me for, trash like you are?"

"So you've seen it, then. It's a three-stringed instrument that is usually required of Geisha to be able to play. _Perfectly_."

"Ha! Have you-?"

"Shut up, BASTARD!" She yelled, and, with a pull of invisible strings, Mizuki couldn't _move._

Iruka watched this all in shock and pride as Mizuki cussed and yelled… but couldn't lift a single _finger_, "Naruko," he whispered in awe, "How did you..?"

"Heh! I'm awesome, right!? The bastard didn't even notice that those shuriken I threw him had string attached to them! You thought they were just to wear you off so that you'd take the scroll of your back, didn't you? Well… that was also part of the plan, so that the scroll wouldn't get damaged or anything when I pound you to the dust, but it worked anyway!"

Naruko pulled the strings harder as Mizuki choked. He whimpered as his vision slowly faded to black… and lost consciousness.

The Hokage looked at Kakashi as the images started to slowly disappear, "As you can see, Kakashi, she's quite special. Please take care of her."

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

* * *

Yamanaka Ino fumed as she stomped out of the class room. The Green Genin immediately made way for her as she cussed and incoherently mumbled something about 'stupid blonde idiots' which, from another's point of view, made her sound totally schizophrenic.

I mean, wasn't she a 'stupid blonde idiot'?

Her sour mood prolonged until she reached the library. Ino angrily glared at the shelves which housed the book she was looking for. Walking down the aisle, she roughly grabbed a thick, cream-colored volume entitled 'Ninja Book of Wisdom Volume7'and opened it to look for 'Geisha'.

_Geisha - A member of a professional class of women in Japan whose traditional occupation is to entertain men, in modern times, particularly at businessmen's parties in restaurants or tea houses. The Japanese word ____geisha__ literally means "art person," and singing, dancing, and playing the samisen are indispensable talents for a geisha, along with the ability to make conversation. Many geisha are also adept at flower arranging, performing the tea ceremony, or calligraphy. The main function of the geisha is to provide an atmosphere of chic and gaiety for her wealthy clientele. Geisha are usually exquisitely dressed in traditional kimonos and delicately mannered and have knowledge not only of the past but also of contemporary gossip._

"Is this… a joke..?"

Her hands shook as the book loudly fell on the floor.

"NARUKO IS _NOT_ A GEISHA! SHE'S NOTHING BUT A SLUT!"

"Ssssssssshhhhhhhh!"

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke sat silently next to the window as everyone exited the classroom. He was still in slight disbelief about Naruko winning the title of Kunoichi of the Year.

'I really shouldn't care about those things,' he thought as he chewed on his rice ball. He looked down at the view of the school grounds before him and caught sight of an all too familiar blonde.

'Speak of the devil.'

She seemed to be talking with his other teammate, Haruno Sakumo, who looked highly irritated and annoyed at her, 'Hmph. That guy's just a dead last.'

Sakumo walked away with a tick mark on his forehead whereas Naruko looked offended. She huffed and crossed her arms as she turned her head away from him.

Sasuke almost snickered when he saw Naruko walking away.

Geisha? Her? Right.

'Hn. I suppose she _is_ pretty, with high cheekbones and large, too-blue eyes. She does have a cute nose, and an effeminate chin. Her hair is messy and uneven and _blonde_ but it actually makes her look gorgeous-'

Wait.

Just.

One.

Minute.

…

…

…

What?

"Hey, Sasuke-bastard, mind if I eat with you?"

He raised an eyebrow when he found Uzumaki Naruko right in front of his face, standing outside the window.

'Hn. Pretty indeed.'

She didn't smell like strawberries of flowers, she didn't have a smell at all, actually, which was very good when you're a ninja. You're not _supposed_ to smell like anything when you're in a mission.

Or you'll die.

He smirked at her, "Got rejected by Haruno, Uzumaki?"

She scoffed as she jumped over the ledge to sit next to him, "Yeah, right! He was just being the pinky prick that he is!"

She stopped opening her lunch box to look at him weirdly, "I don't think I'd be able to take it if _both_ of my teammates act like jerks!"

Sasuke glared at her.

Naruko merely brushed him off, "Yeah, well. We're teammates anyway. I can't do anything about _that_."

"Hn. Dobe."

She ignored him in favour of eating her lunch, and Sasuke immediately noticed that her lunch looked good, "Hey, dobe, did you make that?"

"Hm?" she looked at him curiously, the chopsticks still in her mouth, "Oh. Of course I did. We were taught how to cook in the Geisha classes."

He snorted in disbelief, and Naruko glared angrily at him, "What's the matter with everyone acting like that? Why don't you believe I'm actually a Geisha? Who kicks ass, by the way!"

Sasuke smirked at her, "You just said _ass_. Geisha's don't say those words."

"Yeah! Well I'm different!"

"Obviously."

Naruko looked at him in a thoughtful manner, "Do you want proof or something? That I'm actually Geisha?"

"You won't be able to come up with one."

A tick formed on her forehead, "ARGH! I'll show you!"

She angrily stalked out of the room and banged the door behind her as Sasuke smirked to himself, 'There's just no way…'

The door opened, and Naruko walked in…

Sasuke was sorely tempted to gape.

She walked differently. Acted differently. It was as if she was born with that personality. She was still wearing the same clothes, but what was on Sasuke's mind was how the girl walking towards him was _not_ Naruko.

She stared at him worriedly, "Sasuke-sama? Are you all right?" she was at his side in an instant, "You look distressed! Oh dear!"

She covered her mouth with her hand in shock when Sasuke's rice ball actually _fell_.

"Ah! I'll pick it up for you!"

A hand suddenly clasped around her wrist, and Naruko turned to him instantly.

Sasuke's face was void of emotion as he asked, "What.Are.You.Doing?"

She was acting like a servant! She was acting like the perfect… Geisha.

What bothered Sasuke was, however, how much he _liked_ it.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-sama?" she asked as she sat next to him: her posture was erect, he knees were closed together, and she was so _close!_

Her hand reached up to touch his cheek, making Sasuke feel… breathless.

She leaned closer to hem, "Perhaps I can make you feel better, Sasuke-sama?"

Sasuke could only stare at her too blue eyes (which were too close to his) and notice the smug triumph she hid underneath them. She was mocking him!

Damn her!

But all Sasuke could do was notice her _face_ that was merely inches away from his. He stared intently at her visage from her nose, to the birthmark-like scars on her cheeks, to her lips…

Naruko who was fully anticipating Sasuke to simply do that stupid smirk thing of his and admit that she really was a bona fide Geisha in a manner that would also make her feel insulted.

She did not, however, expect him to _kiss_ her.

Her eyes widened, and she jumped away from him like she was electrified.

"Wh- WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?"

A blushing Uchiha Sasuke turned away from her, "You brought it upon yourself, dobe."

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE GAY!"

-Twitch, Twitch- Smirk, "Do you want me to prove I'm not gay _again_?"

She blushed as she stared at him wide-eyed, "NO! THAT WAS MY FIRST KISS, BASTARD!"

"Hn. Leave, or I'll grab you and take your second."

"BASTARD!"

Uzumaki Naruko ran out of the room.

'What.The.Hell.Just.Happened?'

Uchiha Sasuke turned his head to look at the unfinished lunch Naruko left behind.

Well, at least he was able to confirm that her lunch really _was_ quite good.

* * *

Review, review, review!

This took a long time to update, but wow. I must say that I wasn't expecting the Naruko-Sasuke scene just now. Sasuke sure was OOC, yeah?

The Harem still continues, by the way. But you're still allowed to get your hopes up, folks.

Oh. And expect the next update to be shorter than this one… hehe.

This is Driven signing out.

* * *


	6. Team 7

* * *

_**Naruko**_

_'Team 7'

* * *

  
_

Uchiha Sasuke sat, as usual, in the row at the back in the seat right next to the window. He was glaring at nothing in particular, really. But everyone else thought he had some sort of grudge on the little bird outside.

Uzumaki Naruko sat right next to him, mumbling a curse or another as she crossed her arms and huffed, looking straight at the innocent blackboard with a glare.

Haruno Sakumo sat at Naruko's right, his eyes twitching every now and then. His hand would shift dangerously close to his large kunai pouch before he would curl it to a fist and stuff his hand under the desk. It would eventually crawl its way back out, trust me.

Team Seven is as screwed as it can get.

Naruko shifted her eyes sideways to look at Sakumo, "Oi, Sakumo," she said hotly, "Change seats with me, would you?"

Sakumo fixed the blonde with a glare, "And put myself in between the _both _of you?" he scoffed somewhat haughtily, "As if, Naruko!"

"You suck."

"Shut up!"

Umino Iruka sent a worried glance at the fighting genins. Had the Hokage been smoking pot when he teamed the three together? He vehemently shook his head, impossible! Iruka mentally chided himself for thinking so lowly of their esteemed Hokage, and focused on the task given to him. He raised his clipboard (with difficulty) and coughed twice to get the attention of the students. He looked at them seriously and, all the while hiding how proud he was, began to talk:

"What does the title 'Genin' mean?" he looked at them, expecting an answer. Finally, Yamanaka Ino raised her hand.

"Yes, Ino?"

"To be Genin means that you are responsible for completing low E to D ranked missions, and that you are-"

"No. That is not what it means to be genin."

Ino looked abashed for a second before she quickly composed herself and asked, "Then, what does it mean to be one, sensei?"

"It means that you are the new generation of Konoha's ninja. It means that you are now ready to protect Konoha… with your lives. It means that, no matter what happens, you are ninja above anything else because you are _genin_."

He stared at them and noticed how they were paying rapt attention to him. He looked at each of them carefully before continuing, "But despite all this, you are still the _lowest_ of the _low_ in the world of ninja, genins. And you have a long way to go before anyone can call you great. Think of yourself as nothing compared to Konoha's elite, because you _really_ are."

The kids were glaring at him by now, but he needed to set his point across, "Do not think, that even for a split second, that you are better than your jounin teachers because you are _not_. You are like newborns, genin, frail and weak and clueless about the outside world.

"Outside these walls could bring you instant _death_ if you are acting like the ninja you're _not_. Being genin means you are still at the bottom. The missions you will receive are far from glamorous, but when you are genin, you will receive them with pride and dignity because you _know_ what you are right now."

"That sucks!"

"Yeah! If that was what a genin was, then we wouldn't have bothered trying!"

"QUIET! If you think that, then quit being genin right NOW, you pathetic excuse for ninja!"

The class was deathly quiet.

"Do you know what it's really like being genin? Genin is like _hell_. The missions are horrible, you need to have to beg your sensei to teach you, and jounins don't respect you. You experience everything when you are genin: blood, sweat, tears… _death_. It's absolutely _horrible_.

So, I perfectly understand if some of you would want to quit now," Iruka said.

'_You need to understand that Ninja life is hard, and I just want all of you safe.'_

The class stared at him: some with fear and worry, others with defiance and still others stared at him coolly. Naruko's stare, though, captured his attention most: her blue eyes were fierce with a fire that seemed to burn in them. Determination.

Naruko scoffed, bringing the class' attention to herself, "Bring it on, sensei! Nice try with goading us, but your words had the moving power of an ant."

Iruka reddened, "What are you going to do then, genin?"

"I'm gonna kick every damn problem out of my way, sensei! 'Coz that's what a genin is all about, right? Genin have to fight the hardest, because they're at the bottom. And even if people know that, they still try and bring 'em down! But we know we won't be moved that easily! We earned this headband, sensei! And you can't take it back that easily from us!"

Iruka smiled a small, sad smile that went unnoticed by his class. '_What Naruko just said_,' he thought, '_Is_ _exactly like her own condition_.'

There was a moment of silence as the class absorbed what the blonde had said. They had to admit, she was pretty strong-willed.

Iruka stared at her before a slow smile spread across his lips, "Well said, Genin Uzumaki Naruko, well said."

She smiled, "My sensei once said 'A Konoha Ninja must be like a tree whose roots have dug so deep in the ground that it is impossible to knock it over. No matter what or who pushes it, it will never fall down.' I'll never forget her words, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka returned her smile before he addressed his class once more, "As Yondaime-sama once said, 'The will of fire burns bright in each Konoha ninja'. Does that fire burn inside of you, as well?"

"YES! IRUKA-SENSEI!"

* * *

Hatake Kakashi was a very admirable ninja (putting his… _odd_ obsession of porn aside), and he was also humane for a Jounin of his calibre. He was considered a genius among his peers, and he was highly respected.

The Third Hokage looked up from the crystal ball he was watching, "Well? What do you think of the little trouble-maker?"

Kakashi looked at the most respected man in the Fire Country… and shrugged.

"She's interesting. But… a geisha? How did that happen?"

"Yes, actually, it was the only thing I could think of at that time," he said, "When other… people had heard about her transfer to the Shinobi section, they were, quite naturally, enraged."

"Ahh."

"They requested something along the along the lines of making her studies harder for her, and as much as I was disgusted by the request, I made her take geisha lessons," the Sandaime smiled slyly, "But then again, the favour still went to Naruko."

"Isn't the geisha course open for 3rd year academy students only?" Kakashi inquired.

The Hokage laced his hands together, "That is why Naruko is more knowledgeable about the art, and she had been studying it for three years. Even her geisha teacher commends her. She's quite the hard-worker, that one," the Hokage untangled his hands and reached for his pipe, "You do, realize, of course, that you are handling the most delicate genins in all of Konoha."

"I sort of realized that when you told me to stay and chat…" he reached for the Icha Icha book he had discarded a while ago, "This is not only about Naruko, is it?"

"You have Uchiha Sasuke on your team."

"I know," he said.

The Hokage sighed a long, suffering sigh, "The council was _highly_ against it."

A long pause dragged out between them as the Hokage stared into space. Kakashi was silently contemplating, and a million thoughts were running through his head. Instead he said, "Sasuke is very pitiable isn't he, Hokage-sama?"

"You know very well of Uchiha Itachi's plead then, don't you?" the Hokage asked.

Kakashi nodded, "I was assigned to guard you at that time, Hokage-sama. I never breathed of that secret to anyone."

"I know how loyal you are."

Kakashi nodded again before he returned his gaze to the book.

"Kakashi, take care of them for me. That is an order."

He snapped his book shut and looked at the Sandaime straight in the eye, "Of course, Hokage-sama."

"Please keep a close watch on those two."

"Yes."

As the Hokage watched Kakashi turn to leave, a thought ran through his mind: "Wait a moment, Kakashi. There is something else I wish to tell you…"

* * *

"What's taking that damn teacher so long?"

3 hours. It had been a whole 3 hours since Iruka made his speech. Who, in their right mind, would be three hours late to a meeting?

"Does that guy have no respect for us at _all_?"

Naruko was, by now, pacing irritably at the front of the classroom. She turned on her heels when she neared the door and started pacing in the other direction. Sakumo almost laughed when Naruko scowled as she reached the wall. He was about to say something when Naruko beat him to it, "Gah! It's not like I'm _enjoying _myself here, you know!"

Scowling, she continued, "I have a perverted bastard for a teammate!" she glared vehemently at the brooding Uchiha Sasuke, "And a pinky wuss who just doesn't know how to act a _little_ nice!" her glare at this point had shifted to the irate Sakumo.

Sakumo looked trifled at her remark, "Hey!" he said, "It's not my fault you're so rude!"

She stuck a tongue out at him, "And you wonder why you have no friends, Sakumo." In an afterthought, Naruko muttered to herself, "_Rude_? Who says that word in _this_ century?"

A very red Sakumo retorted, "You-you… You're just so… Argh!"

Naruko scoffed at him and rolled her eyes, "What?" she asked, "Do you really want me to act like this?"

There was a sudden change in her posture, Sakumo noticed. Naruko smiled prettily at him and asked, "Do you want to eat lunch with me Sakumo-kun?"

Sasuke repressed a shudder and a snort at how Naruko was acting, "You act like one of the _girls_, Urasutonkachi."

Beside him, Sakumo was trying his best not to puke, "Th- That was…" –shudder- "Please don't do that again."

"Hmph! You're the one who was complain..! Wait a sec…" Naruko stooped, mid rant, and turned her attention towards the door.

Sakumo looked at her funnily, while Sasuke merely spared her a glance.

Naruko, however, paid them no mind. Her face scrunched up in concentration as she placed a finger on her chin, "I don't know why but… my Spider senses are tingling."

A slow smile spread across he lips when the door to the classroom opened, and in ambled Hatake Kakashi.

Naruko's smile could have lit Konoha… which could never really be good.

* * *

Of course, Hatake Kakashi was one of the elite. He had, at one point in time, served the ANBU. So, naturally, there should be no question about his skill. He had even invented his own assassination technique, the Chidori, he is the son of the late yet legendary 'White Fang' and was the Yondaime's student. In bingo books, he is known as 'Sharingan no Kakashi' and is held in high (or really, really, _really_ low) regard by shinobi all over the Elemental Nations.

…

Yet why, for Pete's sake, is he hanging like a puppet, aloft in the classroom, with a sign 'I am an IDYOT!' dangling beside him?

"Ahahahahahah!" –Breathe- "Hahahaahahaha!" –Hiccup, breathes- "Hahahahaha!"

Sakumo, by now, was hyperventilating, "Sensei! I am so sorry! I tried to stop Naruko but she-!"

"Hahahaha! Serves you –haha- right!"

"-and I was just saying that you probably got caught up in important business, but she wasn't-!"

"You totally –hahaha- fell for it! I can't believe the strings –hahahahaha- can actually –hahahaha- carry you that high up!"

"-she just wouldn't _stop_, Sensei! And, in behalf of –glare- my teammate, I apologize for-"

Despite Naruko's obnoxious laughter, Sakumo's never-ending apologies, and Sasuke's twitching visage, Kakashi was, from the short interaction alone, able to conclude that:

1) Naruko is good with strings.

2) Sakumo is jittery.

3) Sasuke can't take a joke.

Out loud he said, "Hmmm," at this point, everyone (Naruko) had quiet down already, "My first impression of all three of you is… I hate you."

Sakumo's face was the epitome of a horrified expression. Sasuke was scowling like there was no tomorrow. Naruko's scowl could rival Sasuke's.

"Meet me on the roof."

-Poof!-

The blonde's jaw dropped as she spluttered, "B-but! How could he have escaped my trap so easily?"

"…"

"…"

Naruko turned towards her two numb teammates, "And how could he say that he hates _us_? I mean, shouldn't it be the other way _around_? He was 3 _hours_ late after all!"

Sakumo gaped at her.

Sasuke looked at her exasperatedly, '_What the heck!? Is this girl for real?_' As he was standing, he remarked sarcastically at her, "Maybe it's because you spelled 'IDYOT' wrong?"

Muttering to herself, Naruko scratched her chin in thought, "Yeah… that could be it."

"…"

"... Idiot."

* * *

Kakashi was a tall man with an odd taste in clothes and he has gravity-defying silver hair. Oh, sure, he wears the standard Jounin Uniform. The only problem with his get up was the fact that his... _shirt_ covers half of his face and his headband covers one of his eyes. Since the first impression of the three genin had for their teacher was already questionable, upon reaching the roof, when they saw him in a much more normal position, their regard for their teacher continued to degrade.

When the three of them were seated properly, Kakashi sort of… _smiled_ at them. And, as if nothing happened, said, "So… I see introductions are in order."

Sakumo looked like he was about to fall off a building, "I-i-i-intro-d-d-ductions, S-s-sensei?"

"How are we supposed to do that?"

Kakashi 'hmmed', "You know… your name, your likes and dislikes… dreams for the future."

Naruko looked at him peevishly, "Why don't _you_ start?"

'_There's that _smile_ again,' _Sakumo thought, '_He's mad! I just know it!'_

"All right," Kakashi said, "My name's Hatake Kakashi… I like… I hate… and… well, I have dreams for the future."

-_smile-_

The three genin shuddered.

"Okay then, moving on." Kakashi peered at the three of them before he pointed at Sakumo. The pink-haired youth jumped before he shakily pointed a finger at himself, "M-me?"

"Yes, you, pinky."

All fear was instantly wiped off from Sakumo's system as he scowled, "Don't call me that!"

The bemused jounin waved a hand dismissively at him, "Whatever you say, just introduce yourself."

-Twitch- "My name is Haruno Sakumo. I like… Ino -AHH! I mean sharp objects," at this point, Sakumo's face had the same color as his hair, "Ahh… how embarrassing. Ahh… My dream is to become a renowned swordsman."

"And what do you hate?"

He glanced at Sasuke and Naruko, before looking at his feet, "I hate nothing in particular."

"Really? Well then, why don't you go next, angel face?"

Sasuke snorted, and Naruko's face coloured, "Who are you calling angel face, you scarecrow?"

Kakashi scratched his chin, "Hmm, I was under the impression that girls would find that flattering."

"HMPH! My name is Uzumaki Naruko! And I'm obviously not your average Kunoichi! So stop treating me like some wuss!"

"I'll keep that in mind, Naruko."

"Yeah!" she yelled as she pointed a finger at him, "You better!"

"Anyway, my likes are ramen, playing pranks and training!" she harrumphed, "I hate the three minutes it takes to cook ramen, girls who give us kick-ass Kunoichi a bad name… and –glare- Sasuke-yarou!"

Sasuke twitched.

"My dream is to become the first female and the best Hokage ever, so that everyone will have to respect me, and admit that I'm great!"

'_Interesting.'_ Kakashi thought as he looked at the last remaining member of Team 7 who hadn't introduced himself yet, "And lastly, you. The… silent one."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There is nothing that I like… yet there are many things that I hate. I have no dream; it's more of an ambition… to kill a _certain_ man."

'_It's just as I presumed,' _Kakashi thought.

Sakumo stared at him impassively, nut his inner self was screaming obscenities at the Uchiha, _**"SHANNARO! Stop acting so cool, you damn bastard!"**_

Sakumo was, however, broken out of his reverie by Kakashi's words, "Well, I think all of you are interesting. So, tomorrow, we will meet on training ground 7 for our fist day together."

"Eh? What are we gonna do together, sensei?"

"We're going to do some Survival Exercises." –_smile-_

"_**ARGH! It's that smile again! Watch yourself, Sakumo!"**_

"Survival Exercises, Kakashi-sensei? We've done lots of those while we were still in the academy…" Sakumo said tentatively. He winced, remembering his not-so-happy days spent in the academy.

"Yes. Although, this time, it will be a bit different… because you're going to be put up against _me_."

"_You?_ Says the man who was hanging from the ceiling just moments ago! –Hahahaha-!"

"Be there on 5:30 am. Sharp."

"_WHAT_!?" Naruko yelled.

"Oh. And I should probably mention the 66 percent failure rate… You know, you're never really officially genin until you pass our exam."

"_What_?" Sakumo whimpered.

"Yes. The academy's exam was just to evaluate if you lot actually knew something."

"…_?" _Sasuke… said.

"That will be all," he stood up and grabbed the book within his kunai pouch, "Ah. Don't eat your breakfast tomorrow. You'll probably puke."

-Poof-

And with that, he left two gaping (and one brooding) genin on the rooftop.

* * *

Ahh. I'm not good at writing sappy graduation speeches.

Okay. There have been many **questions** about **Sakumo's****personality**. So, this is how I came up with his character:

In the Chuunin Arc of the Anime, when Ino and Sakura were fighting, there were plenty of flashbacks, right? (Yeah! They got pretty annoying, too…) And, as you have noticed, little Fem!Saku had this serious self-esteem problem thingy.

Now, Sakumo also has this self-esteem problem. If you read Chapter er… 5, you will find that Sakumo is usually quiet in the class (based on the reactions from his classmates when he suddenly and violently reacted to him being placed on Team 7). He does not interact with other people. He has no friends. This is the reason why he is almost at the bottom of the class: He's too insecure about himself. He's the dobe in this fic. Also, as what I have imagined, the Shinobi class has a different way of teaching compared to the Kunoichi class.

But, as you have also noticed, Sakumo has this major crush on Ino. This is due to the fact that, yes, when they were kids, Ino interacted with Male!Saku. Although, unlike Fem!Saku, Male!Saku did not aspire to be 'just like' Ino. Instead, Male!Saku harboured feelings for Ino, making his insecurities grow.

Anyway, **other info on Sakumo**:

1) He _hates_ his pink hair. Fem!Saku insecure about her forehead? Then I gave Sakumo something to feel physically insecure about, too.

2) He sees Uchiha Sasuke as a rival in love for Ino.

3) Sakumo's chakra capacity is larger than Fem!Saku's so his control shouldn't be too great, either. In other words, he won't be Tsunade's apprentice in this fic.

4) Since he really likes pointy objects, his kunai pouch is three times larger than the norm, and his aim is really, really good. Think 'Tenten'. His dream in to be a famous swordsman/shinobi. (Hint, hint! Zabuza-sama! Kisame-sama! "Sakumo! Stop worshipping the enemy!")

5) He's smarter than Fem!Saku by just a couple of I.Q. points.

6) He's physically weak compared to the other male genin in his batch.

7) And, lastly, since his Chakra control isn't so good, his Genjutsu also suffers as a result.

**Trivia on Naruko:**

1) The right side of her hair is longer than the left side due to her awful handling with scissors. And, yes, she insists on short hair.

2) Her favourite color is white. Her goggles are white, and so are her sandals and bolero. She has also replaced the usual blue cloth of the ninja headband to a white one. Her second favourite color is orange. Hehe.

3) She has even better chakra control than Sakura did.

4) Her chakra capacity is really, really lesser compared to Male!Naruto's, and her stamina is not as monstrous as Naruto's, but she's more level-headed compared to Naruto and she has more common sense. She's just as mischievous as he is, though, and she could be really dimwitted sometimes.

5) She's really good in playing the Samisen, a Japanese stringed instrument, because she was taught how to play by her Geisha instructor.

6) She's really good with strings / ninja wire.

7) She's a really good actress (once again, thanks to her Geisha classes).

8) She wishes to annihilate all perverts on the planet.

9) She believes in the saying 'anything boys can do, girls can do better while wearing high heels'. And she _hates _a weak Kunoichi. Especially those who aren't serious at all when it comes to training.

10) She doesn't have a crush since she really seems to think that having them is derogatory. Although… she sort of really respects, admires and looks up to Iruka-sensei.

11) She's really pretty, but she doesn't like being pretty (thus her reaction to Kakashi's 'angel-face' thing).

**Trivia on Sasuke:**

1) The council are against him. You wanna know why? Well, it's because… -toot-. Oh, sorry. Bad reception.

2) He is highly uncomfortable with the fact that Naruko hums the Uchiha Funeral hymn every time she's in a good mood.

3) He likes to pick on Naruko instead of Sakumo. He calls her 'Urasutonkachi' just like in the Anime and Manga.

4) He now believes that Naruko really did go through Geisha classes. (Ehem.)

5) He still doesn't see Naruko as a good ninja.

6) He's just as angst-y as ever when it comes to Itachi.

7) No, he hasn't started liking Naruko yet, but he thinks she's pretty.

Okay. That's about it, kitties. For the next chapter, more things will be revealed about Naruko, Sasuke and Sakumo.

Oh. And before I go, I'm thinking about making another fic called 'Apples'. It's going to be a collection of one-shots that has 'Forbidden Love' as the theme. There will be 16 'Apples'. And, yes. They will be Fem!Naru. Please tell me your opinion about this.

Review, review, review!

This is driven signing out.

* * *


	7. So it Begins

_**Naruko**_

'_So it Begins'_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Haruno Sakumo chewed on the bottom of his lip as he made his way to the designated meeting place. The sun wasn't even up, the streets were devoid of life, and his stomach was rumbling; but nothing really seemed to matter to him other than the heart-pounding feeling in his chest.

He was nervous.

At the academy, he was always the one picked on, and he was always, _always _the weakest. He didn't know why his punches didn't make a dent in the training log, or why he always seemed to tire a lot faster compared to the other kids-in-training, but he did have a suspicion: It was probably because he was the only civilian-oriented child in the whole class, and he just didn't fit.

When he arrived at the training grounds, Uchiha Sasuke, his sworn rival, was already there. He was sitting in the middle of the clearing, arms crossed against his torso and eyes closed in meditation. His body tensed up in anger.

'_Well,' _he thought sarcastically, '_Isn't he a sight for sore eyes.'_

For as long as he could remember, everything always seemed to revolve around the _genius_ Uchiha, even practically all of Yamanaka Ino's attention.

He cringed.

"Oi," Sasuke drawled, "Are you just going to stand there?"

With a start, Sakumo realized that he was indeed, standing on the very spot when he laid eyes on Sasuke, and he was glaring right at him, to boot! With a furious look on his face, Sakumo bowed his head and reluctantly walked towards his 'rival'.

A few minutes later, Uzumaki Naruko showed up, and both of her teammates had to stifle a chuckle (or in Sasuke's case, a smirk) at her appearance: her already messy hair looked catastrophic, and she looked like she just got hit by a typhoon.

Surprisingly, Sasuke was the first one to comment on her mangled appearance, "Not much of a _geisha_ in the mornings, eh, ura-suton-kachi?"

Sakumo guffawed, "What are mumbling about, Uchiha? Her? A geisha? Yeah, right!"

Naruko glared heatedly at her two teammates and resisted the urge to crush them into pieces. Stalking towards them, she placed herself unceremoniously in the middle of her teammates. With a huff, she hastily ran her fingers through her hair and straightened out her bolero. She took off her ninja headband and tied them around her neck, the white strip of cloth complementing her cream-like complexion.

Naruko was too busy combing her-now free- hair to notice Sakumo's staring. The pink-haired genin was looking at her thoughtfully, noticing how Naruko's hair reminded of his crush –Ino's- hair, only Naruko's golden locks looked richer. Ino's hair was actually more platinum blonde...

'_Ino-chan's hair pales in comparison. Literally. Naruko's hair reminds me of sunshine –or melted gold...'_

Green eyes widened to epic proportions, _'What did I just..?'_

Shaking himself out of his traitorous thoughts, he quickly looked away from the girl beside him and opted to stare at a tree. It was still considerably dark, since the sun hadn't risen yet, so the trees looked gray and boring. Although there were a few sounds of waking animals, other than that, the place still felt asleep.

'_Everything looks so gray._ _Gray, the opposite of yellow. Yellow, like the sun; yellow, like Naruko's hair...'_

"GAH!"

Naruko and Sasuke turned their heads toward Sakumo, surprised.

"What the... Have you lost it?" Naruko said as she glared, "I understand you're nervous and all, but can you keep it down?"

In any other circumstance, Sakumo would have told Naruko that _she_ was the one who was usually noisy, but as his eyes fell upon her visage, all words died on his lips.

Where her eyes really such a _vivid_ blue?

His words came out in splutters, "I... It's just! It's not...! GAH!"

Looking away from her face, Sakumo decided to rest his eyes somewhere _else_ on his teammate that wasn't so colourful. His eyes immediately spotted how the right side of her hair was considerably longer than the left side.

With renewed interest, Sakumo noticed how the blonde kunoichi's hair was unevenly cut, "Hey, Naruko, why is your hair... you know, uneven?"

Naruko stared at him weirdly before answering (he, however, wasn't looking anywhere near her eyes, so he didn't see the expression on her face), "I'm not good with scissors... I guess..."

"Oh!" Sakumo yelled with an enthusiasm that creeped out both Sasuke and Naruko, "That's great!"

"Great?" Naruko repeated with suspicion, "Okay, who are you and what have you done to that sissy wuss with pink hair?"

For a reason he couldn't comprehend, Sakumo suddenly felt deflated. He breathed sharply and looked to the ground.

Naruko found Sakumo's actions weird, but not unpleasant. She was actually surprised when he had asked her that question. Knowing him, it probably took a lot of guts; Sakumo wasn't exactly a very social person. Looking at his actions, she noticed how he recoiled when she asked that rude question and suddenly felt guilty.

'_He was just trying to open up, that's all,' _she thought. Naruko grinned and turned to him, "Heh, not that it's a bad thing. I'm actually kind of glad that you took 'im away."

Sakumo felt relieved, but he didn't know why. Smiling, he said, "I'm Haruno, by the way, Haruno Sakumo."

The blonde kunoichi sent him in an 'I-know-that' kind of look, but nonetheless played along, "Yeah. I'm Uzumaki Naruko. It's a pleasure to meet you, Haruno-san!"

Said person smiled awkwardly, "You can just call me Sakumo..."

Before he could even finish his sentence, Naruko laughed, and Sakumo couldn't help but think how nice her laugh sounded.

"You're not so bad after all," Naruko said, "You're okay, Sakumo."

He smiled.

"Hey!" she suddenly cried, "You should do that more often!" Naruko nodded to herself, as if in confirmation, while Sakumo stared at her, confused.

"Do... what?"

"You know," she pointed to his face, "Smile!"

Turning to Sasuke (-whose presence was momentarily forgotten by the rosette-haired boy-), Naruko told him, "You, on the other hand, still need to get that stick out of your ass!"

Sasuke glared at her, "Shut up, you moron."

"Are you jealous?"

He snorted, "Of what?"

"Sakumo and I are getting along quite nicely, bastard, while you're still a black hole of angst and emo-ness."

"..."

"Oh come on, you jerk! Can't just be a _little_ social once in a while?! It won't kill you, you know!"

"I'd rather not mingle with a dead last and a moron."

"Why, you-!"

Unbeknownst to his bickering teammates, Sakumo was deep in thought. What was wrong with him? Was he really _that_ nervous? Nervous enough to start acting like a complete... gah? Maybe all the pressure was finally making him crack...

'_Yeah,' _he thought, while he absent-mindedly noted the fact that Naruko was having a one-sided fight with the Uchiha, _'I'm just a heck of a lot nervous.'_

'_**But, you have to admit,' **_Inner Sakumo voiced out, _**'She's preeetty.'**_

Sakumo blushed, _'Well, not as pretty as Ino-chan!'_

'_**Ino? Wake up, you wuss! She's not running to your arms anytime soon.'**_

'_She-she's just...'_

'_**Excuses, excuses. She's broken our hearts one, too many times. It's time to move on!'**_

'_Shut up! Ino-chan's still the best!'_

'_**If she was the best, then why is Naruko-chan better than her?'**_

'_She's not! Why are you acting like that, anyway?!' _as an afterthought, he added, _"...chan..?"_

'_**Look at those eyes, man! You can almost... drown... in it...'**_

'_Stop giving me flashbacks! ARGH!'_

'_**That complexion! Those whisker-marks!' **_Inner-Sakumo purred, _**'It makes her look se-e-exy!'**_

'_You're a pervert!'_

'_**And you're going to die alone! Suck it up, are you man or what?'**_

'_I'm... I'm thirteen...'_

'_**Jeez! I'm not talking about commitment! That's like, 40 years from now!'**_

'_Then, what..?'_

'_**... Man, we're hopeless!'**_

Sakumo sighed audibly and flopped on the ground. Beside him, Sasuke and Naruko were still yapping about whatnot.

He didn't know what to think when his other half kept telling him to cross over to the dark side.

'_**Aww,' **_Inner-Sakumo whined, _**'We have free cookies at the dark side!'**_

'_I don't want free cookies.' _Sakumo retorted irritably, _'What I don't get is how you could forget Ino-chan so quickly! After all she's done for us! How could you, you... you... traitor?!'_

'_**What traitor? Hey, I couldn't betray you even if I wanted to! Anyway, what has your precious Ino actually done for us, anyway?'**_

Sakumo mentally gasped, _'How could you forget it? It was around the first few weeks of the academy, when those stupid bullies...'_

'_**Oh! Now I remember!'**_

Visions of a younger Ino suddenly materialized in Sakumo's mind, smiling and ruffling his hair as a younger Sakumo tried to stifle his cries.

"_Don't let those meanies get to you, Sakumo-chan! They're just jealous!"_

_Sakumo rubbed against his nose, "I... It's just... They call me pinky! Every -sniff- every time!"_

_She giggled, and Sakumo thought she was so nice that way, helping him and all. When he finally looked up at her, Ino was smiling a beautiful smile that made his heart pound and face blush as pink as his hair. Still smiling, Ino said, "What are you talking about?"_

_She patted his head, "I think pink is the perfect colour for you!"_

That was why he could never forget her, even when she started to change from the wonderful Ino-chan she was back then to someone Sasuke-obsessed: Simply because she was Ino-chan. And she was Ino-chan, the pretty blonde and blue-eyed girl who had ruffled his hair and told him that pink was his perfect colour.

'_**Yeah, and that was the end of it. No communication, no hey-I'm-still-alive gesture. Nothing. Nil. Nada. Zip. You never even said hi to her. I doubt she even remembers you, let alone know you're alive. You really are a wuss.'**_

'_Sh- shut up!'_

'_**You've lost your chance; you had all the time in the world at the academy. And what did you do? You just sat there and prayed that Ino would come running to your arms and proclaim her undying love to you.'**_

'_Well, what was I supposed to say?'_

Silence.

Sakumo sighed outwardly. His teammates were still trying to slit each other's throats, completely unaware to Sakumo's inner discomfort. Closing his eyes in a futile attempt to drown out the noise, Sakumo pondered about the test and how it would go. He stole a glance at Naruko's riled up expression and Sasuke's superior smirk, and sighed. How were they supposed to pass that stupid survival test?

After a good ten minutes, both parties finally fell quiet. Naruko had her nose in the air, and Sasuke was once again stoic to the world. Sakumo sighed for the umpteenth time that day and waited for their late sensei.

He closed his eyes again, noticing how the grass beneath him served as an okay makeshift bed. Breathing in the comfortable scent of the forest, Sakumo fell asleep.

He woke up a few hours later with the sun's rays hitting him square in the face, and he was still in a horrible mood.

A few hours later, Kakashi 'poof'-ed into existence, and inner-Sakumo cursed:

'_**Oh, crap.'**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"See these tiny, little things?"

The two, small, silver bells jingled as Kakashi flicked his wrists, while the three genin's eyes were watching his every move.

"These are your keys to pass-dom. Although I wouldn't call them keys, more like bells. Well, they are bells. So they're actually your _bells_ to pass-dom."

If the situation wasn't so serious, Sakumo would have laughed. Shifting his emerald green eyes, Sakumo saw that his teammates were equally nervous.

"Sensei," Sakumo said as sweat rolled down from his brow, "There are only two bells."

Kakashi's lone, dark eye sparkled with an emotion Sakumo couldn't quite figure out.

With a chilling tone, their sensei told them seriously, "Then that means that the one who _doesn't_ get a bell goes back to the academy, and will have to repeat the grade."

Sakumo gulped. Naruko stared anxiously. Sasuke remained indifferent.

"He or she will also be tied to that stump over there and be forced to watch his or her teammates eat the lunch I had so graciously prepared."

On cue, Naruko's stomach growled.

"Anyway," Kakashi continued in his lax manner, "What you have to do is get one bell from me. Once you do that, you pass!"

Sakumo suddenly remembered what he had read in a textbook in what seemed like a lifetime ago:

_Jounin have skill and experience that are approximately 1000 times more competent than the average genin. They are classified into three categories: Jounin-sensei, Elite Jounin and Special Jounin._

Sakumo stared at the bells anxiously. There was no way he'd be able to get one, and it would seem impossible for Naruko and Sasuke as well.

"There's a catch, though," the scarecrow added, "You have to come at me with the intent to kill, and get the bells in the given timeframe, which is at noon."

Kakashi stared at the three of them in that same grave manner. Despite how bored and casual he acted, the three genin were starting to feel nervous, edgy, and anxious.

"Now... the test starts when I say 'go', okay?"

Sakumo's eyes darted from Kakashi to Sasuke to Naruko. '_What now? What now?!'_

"Three..."

'_There's no way! There's no way we could get those bells!'_

"Two..."

'_Even if all three of us try to get one together... we wouldn't be able to get all two of the bells! Wait...'_

"One..."

'_He never said anything about getting one bell _each_. Maybe... maybe we could...'_

"Go."

All three of them jumped and hid in the surrounding trees, obscured from Kakashi's eye, but nowhere far enough to escape his senses.

Smirking inwardly, Kakashi pulled out his favourite orange book and waited.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sakumo jumped high into the air and retreated. Crunching low, he hid underneath a bush that was 50 or so meters away from Kakashi. He reached for a kunai in his larger-than-average kunai pouch and gripped it tightly.

When he was comfortable in his position – as comfortable as one could get hiding in the bushes, anyway- he began to think:

Something wasn't right with the test, he thought glumly. There was just something... something he couldn't quite point out with the way Kakashi-sensei had acted, how he talked about the bells, and about the 'I'll-return-you-to-the-academy-crap'.

He frowned. Pushing all of his insecurities aside, there was just no way would that Kakashi fail Team 7. He looked at the facts, and although he loathed admitting it, his teammates just had too much potential to be sacked.

Of course, there was also the possibility of sabotage.

Shaking the thoughts away, Sakumo mentally snorted. His thoughts were getting out of hand, and it wasn't helping with the tingling sensation at the back of his mind that the test had something else to it. Something... hidden, like a puzzle, or a trap.

'_There are only two bells,'_ Sakumo thought with growing despair, _'It's not fair for me at all! It's as if I'm bound to fail this test!'_

His frown deepened. Sakumo held no illusions about his skills. The only thing he was actually good at when it came to fighting was aim and accuracy. Physically, he was weak, and he knew no ninjutsu except the Henge, Bunshin and Kawarimi. He had nonexistent skills in genjutsu.

He hung his head in shame: dead last, indeed.

'_Looks like Sasuke and Naruko are sure to pass this one. Even if they don't get a bell each –Since Kakashi-sensei is a jounin and all- Kakashi-sensei will probably be forced to judge us by our show of skill, and then choose two out of three who'll be official genin.'_

He mentally sighed.

'_Naruko and Sasuke will probably have trouble without a third member, though... Since I haven't heard of two-man genin teams... Hokage-sama will probably give them fewer missions since there are only two of them, and...'_

Green eyes widened in shock.

'_That's right,_' Sakumo thought with growing comprehension, _'There is no such thing as a two-man cell. It's always been three to four, or in special cases, five.'_

Sakumo gripped the hilt of the kunai tighter, _'Kakashi-sensei can fail us, but only as one. When one fails, all three fail.'_

Sakumo glanced at the overly laid-back jounin-sensei. His posture practically screamed 'COME HIT ME NOW!', but Sakumo knew better than to fight a jounin head on. Eyeing his gravity-defying silver hair, to the crooked hitai-ate, to the shirt that acted as a face mask, to the orange book in his hands, and finally, to the two, small, silver bells tied to his waist, Sakumo couldn't help but think how Kakashi-sensei was probably the oddest man he'd ever met.

He was also the slyest.

For the first time in a long, long time, Sakumo felt sure of himself as he silently moved out of the bushes, a smirk making its way to his face. His eyes never left his sensei's form as he scribbled something on two pieces of paper.

He glanced quickly at his hurried script and tied them securely on kunai. With one last look at the jounin, Sakumo retreated further into the trees.

'_The bells aren't lacking,' _he thought as he remembered how Kakashi's lone eye had showed an emotion when he asked the obvious question, _'They're actually in excess.'_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

He looked so careless, Naruko thought, as she silently unfurled the almost invisible strings she had taken out when she landed on the tree branch. She was obscured from the jounin's view, but she could see him plenty from her position. Naruko didn't know what to think of her teacher, but she knew he was good.

Yesterday, Kakashi Hatake had been able to free himself from her strings.

It was a feat no one else had done, until he did it.

Uzumaki Naruko's face contorted in a thoughtful manner as she regarded the strings that were coiled around her wrist.

The ability to manipulate ninja wire was something most shinobi deemed an unimportant skill, only useful when putting up traps or planning an ambush, and even then, most shinobi don't bother to use it in combat.

Ninja wires were even less used than senbon.

So that was why, when her geisha instructor had shown them to her, a young Naruko had gawked and protested, as she had wanted to learn how to throw kunai and shuriken instead, never really thinking that they could be useful. If her memory served her right, her exact words were: "Ninja wire?! What are those things? Those are for hussies!"

Her geisha instructor had promptly subjected her in the most brutal avoid-the-kunai-and-shuriken-coming-at-you training. She was properly traumatized, and wouldn't come close to any form of kunai or shuriken in a week. She guessed it was because her ex-teacher was very sensitive about the faint line between a geisha and a hussy, but she had been tactless then. Now that she _was_ one –a full-blooded, kick-ass geisha- even she became offended by those who believed that sluts and geisha belonged in the same category.

Geishas are _not_ stupid hussies, thank you very much.

Nevertheless, she knew how truly useful ninja wire were, and was starting to plan how to get the bells when a kunai had lodged itself just centimetres away from her left hand.

She turned sharply at the projectile, shoulders tensing as she tried to sense any malevolent chakra. When she sensed nothing potentially dangerous, she dislodged the kunai that had embedded itself into the bark and read the hastily scrawled kanji on the thin strip of paper.

'_I know how to pass this test, but I need your help. ~Sakumo'_

Naruko stared at the note for a few seconds before crumpling it and putting it in her pouch. Sakumo had a plan? He needs my help? The thoughts ran through her mind as she tried to think of what to do next. Really, helping Sakumo or either of her teammates never crossed her mind, but Sakumo was her teammate, and even if they started off in the wrong foot, Naruko thought of him as someone whom she'd have to spend a great deal of time with... Sakumo was someone whom she'll be able to potentially trust.

Looking around, she saw nothing but the greens and brown of the forest... She furrowed her eyes in concentration. _'He must be somewhere around here...'_

There. A flash of pink. Naruko jumped from her current position and stalked after her teammate.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Surprised yet unaffected, Kakashi duly noted Sakumo's movement and anticipated his attack without any physical or visible twitch of his muscles.

'_So,' _the scarecrow thought in slight amusement, _'How unlikely is it that this one moved first...'_

However, sensing how his chakra seemed to be running farther away from him, Kakashi mentally frowned. He flipped a page, _'Perhaps... not quite.'_

He sensed his student's chakra come close to Naruko's unique chakra. There was more movement, a faint sound of kunai lodging itself in a tree. Kakashi almost widened his eye.

He shifted his on his right foot and strained his ears without adding chakra. He could hear Naruko rustling in the leaves – he could tell it was her, she was the lightest out of the three, and therefore made the least sound.

Movement: Naruko's chakra was coming closer to the agitated Sakumo.

'_Oh?' _he thought, pleasantly surprised, _'Well, this is new.'_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Naruko landed gracefully in front of startled Sakumo. She grinned at him, "So, how'd you figure it out?"

Sakumo was about to open his mouth when Sasuke materialized right beside them. The Uchiha nodded a greeting, "Urasutonkachi, dobe."

Naruko glared but stayed silent, and Sakumo felt an odd sensation in his chest. Ignoring the feeling, he faced his two teammates, "I'm guessing you read my note."

Both nodded. Sakumo smiled slightly before continuing, "Well, I'm glad you listened."

"Tell us," Sasuke prodded.

"Kakashi-sensei is trying to trick us. There are only two bells, right? That's merely a distraction, and what it's trying to do is make us do the opposite of what we're supposed to do."

"What _are_ we supposed to do?"

"We're supposed to cooperate with each other."

"Hn."

"What's that, teme?! Too high and mighty to team up with us?"

"Hn."

"Why you-!"

"Stop it, both of you."

"He started it!"

"Hn."

"Didn't I just tell you the whole point of this test is teamwork? Why are you fighting _now_?"

"Sorry, Sakumo."

"Anyway, now that we know what trick sensei is trying to pull, we need to come up with something good in order to be able to get the bells. Any ideas?"

Naruko suddenly smiled a psychotic smile that made both Sakumo and Sasuke shift away from her.

"Oh, I have an idea, all right."

Kakashi Hatake won't know what hit him.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The lazy jounin hadn't moved from his spot, Naruko noted with rising levels of excitement.

The plan was set, although at first, both boys had been rather apprehensive when she told them about the plan she had in mind. In the end though, they conceded. She grinned.

'_This,'_ she thought, _'is payback for scaring the shit out of us yesterday.'_

She waited with baited breath, then...

Sasuke charged, head on at the jounin. Kakashi spared him a glance. Closing his book and placing it in his vest's pocket, their sensei faced the charging Uchiha.

Naruko grinned again.

Sasuke jumped high and gave a roundhouse kick aimed at Kakashi's head. Said jounin grabbed his ankle, rendering the attack useless. Using his fist, Sasuke once again made another attempt at Kakashi. This, however, was blocked by Kakashi's other hand.

Sasuke smirked. Naruto grinned. Sakumo aimed and threw.

The kunai grazed his waist, and Kakashi's eyes widened. He glanced quickly at his waist.

The bells were gone!

Cursing, Kakashi hastily let go of Sasuke and made a beeline for the bells that were lodged in between the kunai and the tree.

Before he could reach it, there was a barely audible 'poof' and then smoke surrounded the kunai. Kakashi stared.

A cream-colored hand was what he saw first, and then he saw the tiny, silver the bells, which were held by none other than one Uzumaki Naruko.

When the smoke finally cleared, he was staring, wide-eyed, at the white-clad kunoichi who was grinning from ear to ear.

"So, what'll it be, Kakashi-sensei? Do we pass?"

It took no more than two seconds for Kakashi to cough into his fist and arrange his thoughts. From behind him, he could sense Sakumo emerging from the trees.

"Well, I'm liable to pass you, Naruko, but not your teammates. They didn't get a bell, after all."

Sasuke visibly tensed.

"That's not fair, sensei!" Naruko yelled.

Sakumo spoke from behind him, his voice clear and loud, "Sensei, in all the books I have read, there has been no account of a Genin _Team_ with less than three members."

"Ah. Is that so?"

"Yes. In fact, I am also quite sure that we have passed the true purpose of the test."

Behind his mask, Kakashi smirked, _'These kids are good. They're the first to actually get it right.'_

"Oh? And what might that purpose be?"

"Teamwork."

For the first time since they met, Kakashi smiled a true, genuine smile at them, "Well, I'm quite happy to tell you that you are correct. Teamwork was the whole purpose of this test."

"YES!"

"Oh YEAH!"

"Hn."

"Sakumo, you were awesome!" Naruko praised as she turned to the pink-haired genin, "I can't believe you were actually able to figure it out!"

Sakumo blushed as pink as his hair, "I- well, you were the one who came up with the plan..."

"I know, I'm awesome, aren't I?"

Sasuke twitched.

"Oh, and let's not forget Sasuke! Sure, he could be a bastard, but he saw awesome!"

"Urasutonkachi. I'm standing right here."

"Yeah, yeah! He TOTALLY caught Kakashi-sensei by surprise!"

Kakashi smiled at his excitable genin cell, "Well, it seems like there won't be anyone who'll be tied to the stump. All three of you were able to get the bells and cooperate even when circumstances make you fight amongst yourselves. You must not forget that only through teamwork can you do a given mission flawlessly."

"Sakumo."

Sakumo looked at his sensei with seriousness in his green eyes.

"I was quite surprised that you were able to figure this test out. Your quick thinking may just save the life of your comrades one day."

"Naruko. You were able to trust Sakumo's note completely and go to him without doubting his authenticity. Same goes to you, Sasuke. That is what teamwork is all about: trust. Individual capabilities won't get you far. In the world of shinobi, missions will always be handed out in teams, and the ability to fully cooperate with a fellow leaf-nin is what every shinobi should be able to do. Individual play that disrupts the team can put comrades in danger. I'm glad that all three of you were able to get that."

He motioned towards a large, black stone with a white flag raised on top of it that was hidden behind some bushes, "Do you see that stone over there?" He ambled lazily towards it, "on this stone are the names of heroes."

Naruko perked up, "Heroes? Then I want to be on that stone too!"

There was a solemn air around Kakashi as he spoke, "but these people aren't normal heroes?"

"Oh yeah? Then what kind of heroes are they?"

"They are heroes who died while on duty."

Naruko's large grin slowly disappeared. She stared remorsefully at the ground. Sasuke was looking at the stone uncomfortably while Sakumo was gazing at their sensei pitiably.

"My best friend's name is carved here. With the teamwork that you showed me, you can prevent any other names from appearing here."

Kakashi turned around to face them, "Always remember this: Those who break the rules of the ninja world are scum... Yes that's true. However...those who abandon their friends....are worse than scum."

Suddenly, he smiled, "I'm telling you this because you don't get it. You think you get it, which is not the same as actually getting it. Get it?"

Naruko face faulted, _'Argh. And for a minute there, I thought he was kinda cool.'_

"Well, that about raps it up! Congratulations, Team 7, you pass!"

All three of his students smiled.

"Well, it seems like these lunches won't be put to use, since you passes before the bell rang. Oh well. You'll have to get your own lunch. Ja." And with that, Kakashi Hatake vanished in a puff of smoke.

Naruko gaped at the spot where her sensei had just disappeared from, "WHAT!? After all the damned waiting, the bastard doesn't even give us a decent meal?!" Mumbling curses under her breath, Naruko turned to her other teammates, "Hey, how about you two, I bet you're hungry."

Sakumo was still too euphoric to hear her. He was dancing happily in his own little world, marvelling at the fact that he was able to figure out something that his teammates couldn't, and they were the best in the class! He sighed wistfully to himself, staring at nothing. Sakumo sat down carefully at the ground, hungry and exhausted, but completely happy.

"Oi, Sakumo, you all right?"

"Hm..?"

"Er... yeah. You just... keep on smiling there," Naruko said awkwardly, _'That's kinda creepy.'_

She turned to her other teammate and glared at him, _'A bastard is a bastard. But this one is my teammate. Smile, Naruko, smile!'_

"What about you, Sasuke? Are you hungry?"

"Hn," he had picked up his bag and was starting to walk away from them.

"Oh no, you don't! We're eating ramen!"

With that declaration, Naruko promptly dragged her two teammates away from the training grounds and towards her sanctuary: Ichiraku ramen.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Hokage-sama, Kakashi Hatake wishes to see you."

"Send him in."

The door closed and opened with a soft 'click'.

"Hokage-sama. Team 7 passed."

"Oh? That's good to hear. Please, do elaborate. I am quite interested in how they managed to pass your test."

"They were able to figure it out."

"My, my, isn't that a pleasant surprise?"

"Sakumo figured it out, and Naruko cooked up a plan. Sasuke was the distraction."

"I see."

"During the interaction, I was able to deduce these three: Sasuke is well-rounded, the epitome of a shinobi, while Sakumo is exceptional at aim and accuracy. Sakumo is also the brains in the group, I suppose."

"And Naruko?"

"Well, there are a lot of things I don't know about her yet... but she is more than average when handling ninja wire."

"Really, now? That's no surprise. Sayuri-san is quite creative when it comes to teaching geisha about the samisen. She probably drilled little Naruko about all the uses of strings during her geisha training."

"Yes, but ninja wires are hardly practical."

"I agree. However, with Naruko's creativity, there is no knowing what she will be able to do."

"Yes, Hokage-sama, Naruko is quite a... unique thinker."

Chuckle, "Well, I'm quite glad that they passed. Is there anything else you wish to add?"

"Naruko... she..."

"Yes?"

"She has exceptional chakra control."

"..."

"She was able to henge into a kunai."

"... I see. Well, there's no telling what she might be able to do in the future."

"And, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes?"

"It seems that Sasuke and Naruko are not the only ones whom I should look out for. Sakumo is proving to be a genius in his own right."

"Haruno Sakumo?"

"Yes. He was able to aim a kunai and cut thin thread from a distance of 50 yards."

"Then, judging from your report, I have great expectations from Team 7."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Oh. My. Gawsh.**

**I think I killed myself.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed this bit. And I hope you aren't going to kill me. Well, now that summer's finally here, I think I can update a little more. Next chapter is about Naruko's geisha lessons, among other things. I hope I didn't shock you into oblivion about Sakumo's 360 attitude. Oh, well.**

**Another thing is that, while I was re-reading all the other chapters, I noticed how sucky my writing was. As in, it really sucked. Argh. I am so frustrated about myself right now. I can't believe there are so many reviews, alerts and faves to this story. Seriously, guys, 'Naruko' doesn't deserve it... at least, not yet. ^_~**

**I hope I can make it up to you in the succeeding chapters.**

**Oh, and don't forget to review, review and review!**

**Happy summer guys.**

**Inum na ni, bai.**

**This is Driven signing out.**


	8. Memoirs of a Geisha

_**Naruko**_

'_Memoirs of a Geisha'_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_A peek in the past (A.K.A: Flashback)_

_4-5 Years Ago_

Eight-year-old Uzumaki Naruko was stubbornly glaring at the back of Umino Iruka's head. It had only been a week since she enrolled in the shinobi section, but for some completely bizarre and incomprehensible reason (yeah… sure); the Hokage had called her into his office.

Naruko pouted adorably as she walked alongside a somewhat pissed off yet nervous Iruka as they headed towards the Hokage tower. She was having fun with Kiba! And the Old Man had the balls to interrupt!

Crossing her arms, she huffed and, with a walk / stomp that only she could have pulled off (she looked like an angry train, you see), Naruko indignantly followed her sensei.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

There was a knock on the door. The Third Hokage knew who it was even before it opened to reveal the blonde ball of hyperactivity and the scar-faced chuunin.

He turned around to face them, his face serious for a moment before it broke into a grin at the sight of Uzumaki Naruko's pouting face.

"Naruko-chan, you've cut your beautiful hair! It was such a waste, my dear," he started. Naruko, however, was not swayed by his greeting and said, "What did you want, Hokage-jiji? I was having fun with Kiba-kun!"

Iruka winced at what she said, obviously, he had just remembered what 'fun' meant for the two monsters…

"Naruko-chan, are you bothering Iruka-sensei with your pranks again? Do you want him to drag you back to your Kunoichi classes?"

Naruko shook her head furiously.

"Well, you should behave more in class," the aged Hokage said. There was a moment of silence where the Sandaime took his time in lighting up his tobacco pipe, and Naruko silently debated whether she would behave or not.

Finally, after what seemed like hours (to Iruka, anyway), the Hokage finally spoke, "Naruko-chan, do you like your new class?"

"Of course I do, Hokage-jiji!"

The Hokage went silent… and serious. Naruko, as young as she was, could sense something amiss.

"Why did you ask, Old Man?" she asked as she curiously peered up at him, "And why am I here?"

"Well, before I tell you, I need to speak with your sensei first, Naru-chan."

"Hey! What did I say about that stupid nickname!?"

Sarutobi chuckled as he inhaled from his pipe, "I'm sorry, Naruko-chan. It won't happen again."

She nodded, seemingly satisfied, as she said, "Yeah! It better not!"

"Now, why don't you wait outside for a moment? My talk with Iruka-sensei will only take a minute or two."

She sent a suspicious glance at the both of them before she slowly turned around to face the door. She was about to step outside when she told them, "You better not be up to something fishy, Hokage-jiji."

He smiled at her, "Of course not, Naruko-chan."

Nodding, the 8-year-old Jinchuuriki closed the door.

"Is something wrong, Hokage-sama?" asked Iruka, clearly worried this time, "I'm quite sure I can handle Naruko, if that's what you're worried about…"

"No, no," he interrupted, "I am positive that, under your guidance, Naruko will grow to be a fine ninja." The Hokage once again inhaled from his pipe, "Neither you nor Naruko is the problem."

A frown marred the chuunin's face, "Then…"

"I have called you to ask if it would be all right for Naruko to take… extracurricular activities."

Iruka wore a puzzled expression when her heard this, "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. I'm not following you."

The Hokage smiled mysteriously at Iruka, "I am planning on enrolling Naruko for geisha classes, Iruka. Will it hinder her studies if I go ahead and do so?"

"I," started the baffled Iruka, "I think so."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Well, for one, when you take that class, you'd have to… well, give up certain factors about being a shinobi. Ah, geisha do see things in a different way don't they, Hokage-sama? And, well, for that reason, Naruko will have conflicting perspectives on things. She'd be… confused, since the principles of shinobi and geisha are very different from each other."

The Hokage chuckled, "Yes. That is exactly what they wanted."

"Pardon, Hokage-sama?"

The Third didn't answer for several seconds, opting to smile bitterly at the picture of the late Fourth Hokage. He sighed and shook his head sadly before looking straight at Iruka, "Thank you for your opinion, Iruka. But I will still send Naruko to geisha classes. It is what… some people have requested."

The scar-faced instructor nodded. He was still a bit confused, but he could never really understand how the Hokage saw things, anyway.

"Well," Sarutobi said, "That was all I wanted to talk to you about. Please call Naruko-chan in, now."

"Yes of course, Hokage-sama…"

Iruka turned on his heel and headed straight outside. A few moments later, a cream skinned hand had gripped the door knob. It was followed by Naruko herself, pouting childishly at him, "You talk too _loooong_, Old Man! I got really bored out there!"

"Naruko-chan, you should have said 'You talked for too long'."

"Yeah, whatever!"

The Hokage smiled at her. It was a bittersweet smile, not that the young eight year old would ever recognize it.

"I have good news for you, Naruko-chan."

She smiled excitedly at him, and his heart broke.

It was not good news. It was just something to hide the fact that, even people above her, the ones in command, hate her, detest her…

They actually wanted her out of the Shinobi Section, out of the academy. But the Hokage, being who he was, had done all he could to lessen her burden.

"I have enrolled you for geisha classes!"

"Gay-sha? It sounds wussy!" she exclaimed.

He laughed at her, "It's not that bad a class, Naruko. You'll actually be able to learn many things there."

"I don't want to!"

"Oh! But isn't that such a shame!" The Hokage faked a sigh at this, "You keep saying you want to become Hokage, Naruko-chan… and to pass up such a wonderful opportunity like this…"

Naruko was paying rapt attention to him now, her blue eyes showing conflicting emotions, "What are you talking about, Old Man? How can this class help me become Hokage?"

He smiled and thought, _'Hook.' _

"Naruko-chan, don't you know?" without waiting for her answer, he continued, "When you're Hokage, you should know _everything_. And how are you going to become one if you don't even know how to be a geisha?"

She was looking at him with something akin to desperation in her eyes. She bit her lower lip and was silent for a moment, obviously thinking.

"Hey," she started, her volume slightly lower than normal, "Will it really..?"

If possible, the Hokage's smile widened, _'Line... and,'_

"Of course, Naruko! Even the Fourth Hokage knew what it took to be a geisha!"

'_Sinker.'_

"WHEN DOES IT START, OLD MAN?!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Author's Note:**

**Just a head's up, folks: Please remember that Sasuke refers Naruko as the **_**USURATONKACHI**_** while Sakumo is the **_**DOBE**_**. Please don't get confused.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_Present_

He didn't really know _why_, but for some odd and inexplicable reason, Uchiha Sasuke had acted the way he did today.

Said person frowned as he walked away from his yelling teammate, his backpack nestled securely on his rear as the straps wrapped themselves around his shoulders.

"Oi! Sasuke!"

He didn't slow or turn around to acknowledge her, he just kept walking further and further away. Mentally, Sasuke scowled as he heard Uzumaki Naruko nearing him with hurried footsteps.

"Oi! Sasuke-yarou! Let's go eat ramen! Sakumo has already agreed."

"Hn."

The dobe? Why did she ask the _dobe_ before she asked _him_?

"I'll take that as a yes. Bastard. Oi! Sakumo!" she hollered over her shoulder, "Come on! Bastard's already agreed!"

Sasuke heard the heavier footsteps of his other teammate as he ran to catch up with them. Sasuke's inner scowl deepened. Him again?

What was so good about him, anyway? Sasuke thought as he stubbornly kept his eyes on the road. Behind him, Naruko was chattering animatedly with their pink-haired teammate. He just didn't get how Naruko could actually befriend someone like him.

Earlier, although he _hated_ to admit it, the sight of Naruko and Sakumo talking –who was _blushing_ like _crazy_ at her- made him feel… odd. Odd as in, there was this heavy feeling in his chest, and he kept envisioning Sakumo sliced up into chunks and sold to a cannibal.

That can't be good.

So, when he received Sakumo's kunai-note, he felt liable to tear the small paper into shreds and send the kunai back to the sender at full force. How dare he, Sasuke thought, if he wanted help, he surely wasn't getting it from _him_, of all people.

Sakumo Haruno could fail for all Sasuke Uchiha cared. He didn't give a damn.

But then he felt the usuratonkachi moving towards the dobe, and his body moved on his own. It wouldn't do to leave the two idiots alone; they could very well cause moronic mayhem.

And that can't be good.

So he followed the usuratonkachi, deciding to listen to what their third teammate had to say. With every sentence, every pause and every word the dobe had said, Sasuke had wanted to tell him to shut up.

There was also this tiny, _insignificant_ voice in his head that was saying that Sakumo didn't deserve Naruko's attention.

But, in the end, everything turned out well. The dobe was actually right, and the three of them had passed with flying colors.

Pity Kakashi's bell test had only been a fluke, though. If it wasn't, then… Most likely, Sakumo would have flunked.

And Sasuke would be alone with…

He sent the smiling blonde a glance.

He suddenly bolted out of his thoughts, as if struck by a proverbial lightning. He blinked.

Now, _that_… That can't be good.

Sasuke's mental scowl had turned downright ugly at the last thought. _'Don't think about it. Don't think about it,' _he chanted.

…

But _seriously, _was she dense? Couldn't she see that the Haruno _clearly_ had a crush on her? Or was lobster red just _really_ a normal color for male cheeks? Hn. He'd have to check later.

He sent a lethal glance at his other teammate. This time, he really did scowl.

It was an embarrassment. _Haruno_ was an embarrassment.

He saw how the green-eyed lad's eyes watched Naruko earlier and how he'd realized that the blonde was, indeed, attractive –if the blush wasn't a clear indication, he didn't know what was 9and the _stuttering_! You can't forget about the damned stuttering) - and how he'd spluttered and turned red when she talked to him…

Pathetic.

"-have to try it! Right, Sakumo?"

"Ye-yeah…"

_Scowl_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Naruko!" the aged ramen chef greeted, "It's been a while."

The female genin blushed prettily, "Yeah. Sorry about last time… I had to chase Iruka-sensei, since he left me with such a lame excuse. (A/N: Refer to Chapter 4)"

"Oh?" Ayame said as she noticed Naruko's teammates, "And who might those be, Naruko?"

"These are Sakumo Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha," she said as she motioned towards her teammates, "They're my new teammates, and we're Team 7, at your service!"

Teuchi and Ayame laughed as Naruko sat on one of the stools with Sasuke and Sakumo beside her. She looked at them both as she said, "This place is the best Ramen store in all of Konoha!"

"Ramen, usuratonkachi?"

"What's wrong with ramen? I think it's great! Oh, I'll have miso today, old man!"

Sakumo spoke up from beside her, "I'll have pork."

Sasuke grunted, "Miso."

"Anyway, you'll just have to taste it for yourself! I bet you haven't even been in this side of town, have you, Sasuke?" Naruko smirked at the Uchiha. Sasuke scoffed at her, "Stop making preconceptions about me, usuratonkachi. You don't know me."

She stuck a tongue at him, "Nobody does, bastard!"

Sasuke mentally noted how she had made a point there. Nobody ever really knew the real Uchiha Sasuke; he had closed himself up after the massacre, and nobody seemed to care about him at all. Everyone just assumed things about him and never really bothered to get to know him.

He'd never admit it, but it disturbed him a bit.

He was dragged out of his thoughts when Teuchi placed a bowl of ramen in front of them. Naruko shouted an exuberant 'Itadakimasu!' before digging in with gusto. Both boys had also started eating, albeit in a much more relaxed manner.

"Naruko-san," Sakumo started after a few minutes of silence, "I noticed how you managed to transform yourself into a kunai earlier… How'd you do that?"

Sasuke's ears perked up.

Naruko shrugged as she paused eating, "I dunno. Can't you do that? We were taught the henge in class after all…"

It was Sasuke who answered her, "No," he said with a gleam in his eye, "We can't henge into something like that. A kunai is too small… It would require exceptional chakra control to transform into something smaller than you by more than ten times."

'_Textbook answer,'_ Sakumo thought.

"Oh," Naruko answered, "I didn't know that."

"Hn. You're pretty good at chakra control, usuratonkachi," Sasuke admitted begrudgingly, "How'd you train yourself?"

"Hey! I'm not useless! Anyway," Naruko, by now, had finished her ramen, "Sayuri-sensei. She's was my geisha instructor, she taught me chakra control."

"How?" Sakumo asked.

"Well… you're not gonna believe this, but… she taught me chakra control with the samisen."

"Isn't that a geisha instrument?"

"Yeah, it is. Sayuri-sensei used the strings to teach me chakra control."

"How?"

Naruko winced, "They're not… very happy memories." She twitched, "Yeah. They were sucky memories. Well, since you're my teammates now, I guess you deserve an explanation. But, before I go into my chakra control training, you should know how geisha operate. You sure you're up to it?"

Sakumo nodded and Sasuke sent her a leveled stare. Naruko smiled, "Great! Well, you better order another bowl of ramen while you're at it, 'cause this is gonna take a while."

The blonde geisha grabbed a clear glass from the counter as her teammates watched her in barely concealed curiosity. Naruko placed her empty bowl of ramen aside as she put the cup for her teammates to see on the table. Naruko poured a bit of water into the cup and a bit of oil afterwards. All three watched as the water sunk to the bottom of the cup and a distinct line appeared between the water and the oil.

"Oil and water don't mix," Naruko said. She pointed to the line in the middle, "You see this line here? This line symbolizes the barrier between the shinobi arts and the geisha arts. Both arts are so different that they are considered as oil and water."

"Anyway," she continued, "You remember the shinobi codes, right? Well, the codes of geisha are practically the exact opposite! Take shinobi code 25, for example. Code 25 roughly states that all shinobi are to hide their emotions, it's just like saying that emotions are weaknesses! Psh. The codes of Geisha say that emotions are the most powerful tool."

Sasuke frowned, "They really do clash. Why would you enter such an art if it's so different from you're aim?"

Naruko glared at him, "I don't know, okay. I can't even remember why anymore, just that Hokage-jiji put me up to it."

Sakumo was frowning for a different reason. His puzzled green eyes clouded as he asked thoughtfully, "Why would geisha think that emotions are a powerful tool?"

"Well," Naruko said rather hesitatingly, "Geisha… They… Geisha are really different from shinobi. They don't kill, or get dirty. Their whole life, _real_ geisha are treated as princesses, and their greatest goal is to become beautiful." Her expression changed to utter disgust at this, "I still don't get it, so don't ask me about that."

Naruko drank from her cup of water before continuing, "Geisha are performers, high class entertainers, but… here in Konoha, girls are trained to become geisha for a different reason."

"And that is..?"

"Spying," Naruko said matter-of-factly. "Geisha consider emotions the greatest tool because they _use_ emotion to get information they need. That's why we're entertainers, because the only thing we _really_ do is act. We pretend we're head over heels for the immoral git when all we really want is information on how to kill him easier."

Sakumo winced at her harsh tone, "That's… that's really… um…"

"So," Sasuke started, "You're like a Delilah with her Samson."

"I guess it's kinda like that," Naruko said begrudgingly.

Sakumo grew nervous with the tense atmosphere. Glancing at his two teammates, he decided it was best to change the subject, "A-Anyway! When did you enroll in the geisha classes, Naruko-san? I thought it was open to, well, to third years only? And… um… when did she teach you these things?"

The blue-eyed blonde made a face at that, "It is, so Sayuri-sensei goes to my house during weekends, and _that's_ why for the first year, I had to learn flower arranging and _tea ceremony_. Oh! And I can't possibly forget about _grace and posture lessons_!" Naruko grumbled under her breath, "I still have nightmares about that."

She made a motion with her hands; "The first year of geisha lessons downright _sucked_!" she shuddered, "To make it worse, I had to endure Sayuri-sensei's cooking lessons…"

"What's so bad about that, usuratonkachi?" Sasuke asked as he remembered the well-cooked bento she made a few days prior.

Naruko froze and turned to him with a somewhat murderous expression, "You. Don't. Know. Sayuri-sensei."

"I mean," she said as she cupped her hands to her face with a horrified expression, "_Sayuri-sensei_ and _teaching_ shouldn't even be in the same sentence! She's… she _knows_ torture…"

"Are you okay, Naruko-san?"

Naruko shook her head furiously, "Anyway," she continued, "2nd Year was even _worse_ that 1st year. That's when Sayuri-sensei started laying it thick on me: how to make a conversation, how to dance, how to put on a kimono, makeup! Then acting! That was probably the hardest lesson out of all the lessons in 2nd year!" Her face grew more disgusted with every lesson she mentioned.

"It's a good thing that in 3rd year, things got a little more kick-ass since Sayuri-sensei started teaching me the samisen. Well, there was a lot of pain…" She winced, "Yeah, there was definitely a _lot_ of pain, but eventually sensei taught me chakra control with the samisen strings."

'_Strings?' _Sasuke thought. "How did you train with strings, usuratonkachi?"

Naruko puffed with pride, "Don't try it at home, 'cause it's really, really, _super _hard! So you take a string, something hard like the ones in a samisen (1) and try to make a hole in the middle, straight through it, with chakra, so that the only thing left after that would be its surface, and there's a tiny, almost invisible hole in the middle of it!"

Both her teammates could only stare at her, gobsmacked.

"That's impossible," Sasuke said incredulously, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It's _that_ hard, eh?" Naruko boasted, "Well, I always knew I was great!"

Sasuke twitched in annoyance.

A new voice from behind them had joined the conversation, "So _that's_ why you're good with strings."

The three genin turned around to see Kakashi Hatake standing behind them - his hands were in his pants and his posture was as lax as ever. Naruko yelled at him, "Kakashi-sensei! Don't sneak up on us like that!"

The silver-haired jounin merely smiled, "Sorry. That was my bad. Well, I'm glad to see that the three of you are bonding already."

"Hn. I was forced here."

Naruko stuck a tongue out at him, "Whatever, you emo-git!"

"Maa, maa," Kakashi said as he waved his hand, "I'm glad I found you here. We have our first team meeting tomorrow at 8. Don't be late, now." With those parting words, Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke.

Hypocrite.

"All right!" Naruko said excitedly as she pumped a fist in the air, "I can't wait to get our first mission! I wonder what it'll be! Ne, ne, Sasuke-yarou! What do you think our mission will be?"

Sasuke merely grunted, Naruko felt insulted, and Sakumo could only sigh, "And then what happened?" he prodded.

"Oh, right! Sayuri-sensei taught me how to use the strings more," Naruko smiled softly at this, "At first I thought strings were kind of wussy, but Sayuri-sensei beat that out of me."

"What happened in 4th year?"

Naruko's smile diminished, "She taught me how to spy. She practically forced me to act mute for a whole month."

Sasuke smirked at the memory, "I remember that. The class was an octave silent."

Naruko glared at him, but didn't say anything. Sakumo waited for her to continue, but she didn't. The pink-haired boy frowned, "And then? What happened, Naruko-san?"

Her face was unreadable as she said, "And then Sayuri-sensei left and… _died_."

"What?"

"Sayuri-sensei died. She was called on a mission."

"I," Sakumo started, clearly uncomfortable as he stared at his ramen bowl, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she said irritably, "It was her choice to leave, anyway. She was gone for about three months, and then she just… died."

Sasuke laced his hands together and placed his elbows on top of the

Naruko smiled sadly, "When I first met Sayuri-sensei, she was in this beautiful white kimono with a golden obi and a deep blue dragon on the kimono's skirt. She was really pale, almost as if she hadn't gone out in the sun for years… She had this, shocking _red _hair… and she had the prettiest eyes I've ever seen…"

She chuckled, "I didn't know she was, like, really scary back then…" Naruko fiddled with the white cloth of her headband, "I never told her that I really admired her, either… she acted scary for the most part, but she couldn't stop _fussing_ over me, either…" She snickered, "Like a mother hen."

Sakumo smiled, "It's good that you're not so sad now that she's gone."

"Yup!" The blonde girl stood from her seat and straightened her bolero, "Well, I better get going. See you tomorrow at 10!"

Sakumo turned to say something to Sasuke, "Hey, um-"

Blink.

The Uchiha was gone. Sakumo twitched before turning to leave-

"Just wait one second," Teuchi said from behind him. Sakumo turned slowly, sensing the murderous aura, "Ye-yes?"

"No one's paid for the bill yet."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Hello my lovely readers! (-Insert hysterical laugh here-)**

**-Cough-**

**I don't really know how thick samisen strings are, but try to imagine a guitar string instead, the thinnest string in a guitar. **_**That's**_** how fine the string Naruko's been training with.**

**Well, there you have it: A conversation about Naruko's Geisha Training! And before you ask, the name 'Sayuri' was adopted from 'Memoirs of a Geisha' a book I read just recently to get further ideas about Naruko's Geisha life.**

**Mystery! Just who is Sayuri-sensei? And what **_**really**_** happened during her death? Who caused it?**

**Questions? Suggestions? Complaints? Insults? Seriously, there's nothing stopping you from pressing that shiny button right after this rant.**

**The next chapter will be immensely entertaining… **

**Review, review, review.**

**This is Driven signing out.**


	9. Hino Akako

_**Naruko**_

'_Hino Akako'_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The glaring rays of the sun illuminated the surrounding foliage.

In an unknown location, a radio communicator cackled to life:

"Sasuke at point A."

The atmosphere was tense.

Hidden behind the thick shrubbery, a blonde kunoichi with cream colored skin and mostly white clothes leaned against the hard bark of a tree as she tried to ignore the itchy feeling on her neck. Uzumaki Naruko grumbled under her breath – she wouldn't want Kakashi-sensei to hear, the sadist- as she narrowed her eyes in the surrounding foliage.

Calming herself down, she had managed to grit out, "Naruko at B."

"You're slow, usuratonkachi."

Naruko mentally let out a string of curses at the arrogant, pompous bastard who dared to-

Sakumo, his tone clearly irked, said, "Sakumo at point C."

The target moved.

"The target has moved," she whispered, all mental ire momentarily forgotten.

"All right," Kakashi said. Naruko felt her skin crawl at their sensei's lax tone. It always annoyed her why their sensei was so... so _casual_ at everything. He was probably just standing in some peaceful clearing, reading that perverted book of his, _giggling_.

Giggling, for Pete's sake! As if any man worth-

"What's the distance?"

"5 meters."

"Okay, be ready to strike at 3...2...1..."

Naruko twitched her fingers -

"MEORW!"

-Then the cat was struggling as barely visible strings rendered it immobile.

Sasuke stared at the twitching cat from afar with the red ribbon on one of its ears and wondered when the blonde female member of their team had placed the strings. Sakumo scratched his head irritably and neared the kitty (..."O.o).

The radio cackled to life, "Confirm," Kakashi's casual drawl was heard by the three genin as he said, "Is it Tora?"

"Yes," Sakumo said.

"Good. Operation 'Capture Tora' is a success. Let's head back, team."

Sasuke had also neared the cat and was about to free the struggling feline when he saw the strings visibly tightened around the animal's fat body.

Grunting in annoyance, he hissed into the radio, "Usuratonkachi, you can release it now."

There was silence on Naruko's end.

The cat was starting to turn blue.

"Neh, neh, Naruko-san, let go of it, all right?"

"Just," the Uzumaki rasped out from the other end, "Just a _little_ longer."

"Now, now, Naruko, the mission was to capture Tora, not kill it."

"..."

"Ye-Yeah..." _"__**Kill! Maim! **__**Torture**__!"_

Sighing in resignation Naruko finally twitched her fingers as the strings fell slack on the ground. Sasuke grabbed the cat before it could run away again.

"CAN THIS GET ANY LAMER?!"

The ringing... wouldn't... stop... stop... stop...

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The Fire country Lord's wife was... interesting. She was a large lady with an odd taste in clothes (the cape was a dead giveaway) and a hairstyle similar to her dreaded cat, Tora.

Team 7 watched with varied emotions as the cat was practically being squeezed to death.

'_No wonder it ran away,' _Sakumo thought with a small amount of pity.

"Now, for Kakashi's Team 7's next mission, we have... hmm," the Hokage mumbled. Sakumo awaited their next mission with baited breath. Beside him, Naruko was doing the exact same thing.

"You can... babysit the elder's grandson, go shopping in the neighbouring village, dig up potatoes in-"

Now, on normal days, Naruko was a very patient girl (as patient as the next person who was made out of sugar). Her geisha training had inevitably gotten rid of a tiny portion of her horrible manners, and she didn't want Sayuri-sensei to be churning in her grave if she completely let go of her training.

But damn if she wasn't sick of the lame missions.

Kakashi glanced at his sole female student, sensing a barricade of trouble, but before Naruko was even able to open her mouth (and before Kakashi had even moved to bonk her on the head), they were interrupted.

The doors banged open, and a loud voice said, "I am _sick_ and tired of _waiting_!"

'_Ditto,' _thought the members of Team 7 as they turned to the source of the noise.

Standing just outside the doorway was a girl (who was probably around twelve to thirteen) with midnight black hair and red highlights. She wore ripped pants and a black spaghetti strap, and her eyes were a deep crimson.

She glared vehemently at the Hokage, "Just how long do you plan on keeping me in that stuffy room? Don't you _know_ who I _am_?"

All the ninja in the room (with some obvious exceptions) gaped at her.

The girl wasn't finished, "I am a very busy person, _old man_, and if you don't hurry up with my request, I'll-"

Sasuke couldn't help himself: he scoffed.

The moron was so blissfully unaware that she was about to be skewered for indirectly looking down on the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Oh well.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, said moron had ears: "You! How dare you mock me you... little..."

The girl trailed off as she stared, gobsmacked, at the Uchiha.

Everyone in the room looked at her, wondering how all of the sudden the spirited girl grew silent.

Sasuke could sense the signs of the dreaded symptoms on her face:

One, reddening cheeks.

Two, heart-shaped eyes.

Three, banshee-like squeal.

Even without the other three tell-tale signs, the drool was already a dead giveaway.

The unfortunate lad couldn't even dodge as she lunged at him.

"MARY ME!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Character Info:

Birth Name: Hino Natsumi

Current Name: Hino Akako (Hino is her last name)

Daughter of billionaire businessman.

Age: 13

Appearance: Original Hair Colour: Black; Original Eye Colour: Brown

Current Hair Colour: Black with red streaks Current Eye Colour: Red (she's wearing contacts)

Likes: Sasuke-kuuuuuun, red, money, music, her voice

Dislikes: Not getting her way / being denied anything she wants

Dreams for the Future: To become a famous singer, to marry Sasuke-kuuuuun

Uchiha Sasuke on Hino Akako: .Away.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The Sandaime rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Hino-sama," he started, "I'm sorry for making you wait. Will you kindly let go of Uchiha-san now?"

"Apology unaccepted!" she turned to Sasuke, "So you're Uchiha-kuuun?"

Sasuke twitched. The leech had an iron grip on his right arm, and if he wanted to escape, he'd have to tear his arm off. Bad idea.

"Oh come one," she cooed, "Don't be such a sourpuss, U-chi-ha-kuuuuuuuuuun!"

Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"Hino-sama," Sarutobi sighed, "Please be rational. In any case, now that you're here, why don't we discuss your mission request?"

That seemed to appease the brunette, hesitantly, she let go of Sasuke (who was inching slowly to the exit), "All I need, old man, are 3 of your ninja to play with me at the Battle of the Bands! It's that simple!"

The Hokage glanced at an open scroll, "Do you have any specifications?"

Hino stilled. Sasuke sensed impending doom.

"I want _him_! Kyaaaaaaaa!"

Amused as he was, Hatake Kakashi wasn't that much of a sadist, "I'm sorry, Hino-sama, but Sasuke-"

'Kakashi you idiot!' Sasuke mentally screamed.

"So your name's _Sasukeeeee-kun?_"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Maybe we should help the guy," Naruko mumbled as she stared at Sasuke's pitiful form. The Hino girl was clawing at his shirt, and didn't look like she was capable of rational human thought at the moment.

Inner Sakumo was laughing hysterically, and Sakumo was just enjoying himself too much to care whether Sasuke would get raped or not, "I think Uchiha-san would be able to handle her on his own, don't you think, Naruko-san?"

"I don't know," she said as she put a finger on her chin, "He looks a bit constipated..."

"What are you talking about, Naruko-san? He looks fine."

"_**Mwuahahahahaha!"**_

Naruko frowned, "Sasuke may be a bastard, Sakumo, but he's our teammate, we can't just... What is she _doing_? Oh. Anyway, Sasuke-yarou looks like he really needs our help."

Kakashi sent a brief glance at the two standing genin (the other one was currently sprawled on the floor), and decided to intervene once again. He coughed.

Sasuke turned his neck so fast it gave an audible 'snap' and glared so hard that Kakashi couldn't help but feel intimidated.

"Really now, Hino-sama. You can't hire Sasuke."

She paused in... whatever she was doing, "And why is that, pray tell?"

The temperature dropped several degrees.

"Well, for one, Sasuke belongs to a Team of three, and if you want to hire Sasuke, you need to hire all the members of the team as well," Kakashi said as he smiled, his eyes closing in the process, "And two, we are liable to refuse missions."

"What..?" the black-haired girl asked silently, "I'm sorry; I thought I heard you say... 'Refuse'..."

"I did, Hino-sama. We ninja are able to refuse a mission if-"

"Say that word... _one _more time," Hino turned slowly to the silver-haired Jounin, sporting the most horrifying glare Kakashi had ever seen. "Say it... .time."

Kakashi saw his life flashing before his eyes, "I... I said that we ninja are always accepting of missions! We can't say no to orders, no siree! Aha... Ahahaha..."

"Oh," the glare vanished, "I thought so!"

"Wait just one minute!"

Everyone turned to the white-clad kunoichi and wondered if she had a death wish. Naruko remained blissfully unaware, "If we want to say no, then we can say no! So what if you can't hire Sasuke?"

Hino stared at the blonde as the look of absolute shock marred her features, "But... I can pay you! How much do you want?"

"Sorry," Naruko said as she crossed her arms, "We're firm in our decision, Sasuke is a member of our team, and if he doesn't want to take the mission, then we won't take it too!"

Hino glared vehemently, "What's it to you? How do you know Sasuke-kun isn't dying to be with me?"

She's gone senile.

Naruko put her nose in the air, "Well, even if Sasuke wants to go, _I _don't! So-"

"I'll pay you a C-rank mission!"

"Hino-sama, you're request is only a mere D-rank in difficulty-"

The two members of Team 7's eyes glinted and poor Sasuke could only watch as the last embers of the hope of escaping die.

Kakashi was curious, "C-rank? Really, now, Hino-sama-"

"B-rank. We want B-rank," Sakumo said, his green eyes boring into Hino's crimson red. Hino smirked, "No problem-"

Now, on normal days, Naruko was a very moderate girl. She didn't have any vices (...), and she was completely satisfied with her life.

This was _not_ a normal day.

"A-Rank!" she yelled, "And it's a deal!"

"WHAT!?" Hino yelled, outraged, "Even for someone like me, an A-rank pay is just-"

"A-rank," Naruko interrupted, "A-rank and you can have that _thing _you're holding!"

Hino stared at the trapped Uchiha Sasuke.

"DEAL!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"I'm sorry, Hino-sama, but Uchiha Sasuke is not for sale, neither is he a freebie," the Hokage explained. The room was divided into three parts: in one of the left corners, Sasuke was leaning against the wall, his eyes glinting dangerously as he twirled a kunai, and on the opposite corner stood the remaining members of Team 7.

Uzumaki Naruko lay in the middle, battered and bruised.

Uchiha Sasuke was obviously not a happy camper.

"But Hokage-sama," Hino whined, "I'm not going to make him my slave; I'm just going to marry him!"

Right. And that makes everything all better, doesn't it?

"Regardless, Hino-sama, Sasuke is a very important member of Konoha, he is the Uchiha clan's sole member, and therefore, his decisions non-shinobi-wise are not bound by my influence."

Hino deflated.

"Eurgh," the blonde moaned as she nursed her swollen temple, "Why did you do that, Sasuke-yarou!? That hurt, dammit! That wasn't gentlemanly at all!"

Sasuke glared daggers at her, "Shut up, usuratonkachi."

Naruko gingerly tried to regain her balance as she sent back her teammate's glare, "Don't be such a wuss, teme!"

The Uchiha heir snorted, "And you talk about gentlemanliness? _Teme_?"

"Now, now," Kakashi said as rubbed at the back of his head, "Don't quarrel too much. But this is good, isn't it? You guys can get an A-rank!"

Both of them simultaneously snorted.

"Naruko-san," their pink-haired teammate said cautiously, "I think you should apologize to Uchiha-san."

"You're one to talk," Sasuke hissed as he stared at Sakumo murderously, "_You _sold me out _first_!"

"Yeah, Sakumo! You double backstabber! First you betray Sasuke, and then you betray _me_! And how come _I'm_ the only one who got beaten up?!"

"Er..."

"That's because you're annoying, usuratonkachi."

"Am not!"

"..."

"Why you-"

Naruko lunged at him, and Kakashi ad Sakumo could only watch as they rolled around on the floor.

'_I shouldn't have passed them,_' Kakashi thought regretfully.

"Kyaaaaaaa! What are you doing to Sasuke-kun?!"

"Stay out of this, dammit!"

"No way! Not when you're trying to damage my future husband!"

'_What am I, an object?'_

"Yeah, right! The only thing that'll probably get permanently _damaged_ will be his large and bastardly _ego_!"

"Don't call my Sasuke-kun a bastard! He's perfect! Out of this world!"

To Hino's chagrin, Naruko laughed and said, "Yeah! That's because you're a _fairy (1)_, aren't you, Sasuke-kuuu– OW!"

"Die, usuratonkachi!"

"That's enough!" the Hokage yelled. Naruko paused in mid-punch to turn to the angered Fire Shadow.

"Naruko," he said, "I thought you were better than this. This is not how you were taught."

Her blue eyes widened. Naruko turned to look at Sasuke and immediately jumped off him. She landed gracefully on her feet and, to the shock of almost everyone in the room, bowed deeply, "Forgive me," she said, "For displaying such ill-mannered acts."

Uchiha Sasuke almost gaped in surprise. He frowned at her and stood up to dust himself.

The Sandaime shook his head, "Really, Naruko. I thought you'd be more behaved than this. I know you still like to do pranks, but this behaviour..."

In his mind, Sasuke could already tell what his teammate was about to say: _'You always lecture me, old man. I'm a ninja now!'_

The Uchiha glanced at the white-clad kunoichi, expecting her to yell and deny what the Hokage had said, even saying the exact words he had predicted. Really, she was just so easy to read at times...

She had stayed silent.

Her head was bowed, and she was holding her hands with her posture strait. Odd. Very odd.

"Sayuri taught you better than this," the Hokage continued.

From beside the aged Sandaime, Iruka tensed as he stared anxiously at the usually exuberant blonde. Sayuri had always been a sore subject. Iruka knew that she tried to hide this fact with all her smiles and jokes, but the fact remained that Naruko had been deeply hurt by Sayuri's death.

"Sayuri-sensei has taught me well, Hokage-sama," Naruko said, her tone clearly icy.

Everyone stared at her.

"It is just that I tend to forget myself sometimes," she bowed, "I'm sorry you had to see that, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi smoked at his pipe, "I see. Well then, Naruko. I think I know the reason for your ill behaviour." He smiled kindly at her, "You must be frustrated from all the missions you've been receiving. I'm sure that, for a kunoichi of your talent, you've gotten bored, am I right?"

She was silent. Her blue eyes were glazed, unseeing.

'_What is _wrong_ with her?' _thought her teammates simultaneously. Iruka was looking at her worriedly, but the Hokage didn't seem to notice.

"Well, since Hino-sama had so graciously offered you an A-Rank Mission, then I don't see why you shouldn't take it."

She was supposed to jump, yell 'Yatta!' and start blabbering about whatever they were going to do...

She bowed and said, "Of course, I'm sure my team will be glad to take it."

Hino's exuberant squeals didn't reach their ears. Sasuke didn't even notice when the billionaire's daughter had latched onto his arm.

Kakashi coughed into his hand, "Well then, team 7. It's our first A-rank!" He glanced at the stiff blonde, "Well, for a mission this big, maybe we need more details from Hino-sama..." he rubbed at the back of his head. "Yare, yare. You're not excited at all."

Kakashi looked at his other genin, noting how both of the boys had also noticed (and were possibly worried) about their teammate's strange behaviour.

The Jounin sighed, "And it was so lively just a minute ago. Well, anyway, Hino-sama," he turned to the girl and smiled, "I'll escort you back to your hotel. We'll meet in an hour's time for the mission briefing."

Hino pouted, "But I want to spend time with my Sasuke-kun!"

"Sasuke-kun needs to rest for a bit."

'_Kami knows he'll needs it,' _the scarecrow thought.

Hino frowned before reluctantly releasing Sasuke, "Sasuke-kun, I hate to leave you but... I have to go, my prince!"

With one swift move, she landed a peck in the... air?

Sasuke almost growled at her, but thankfully, Kakashi had already dragged her and was heading towards the door, "Remember team," he called over his shoulder –Hino's loud protests almost overshadowed Kakashi's voice, but his casual drawl was clear to the genin's ears, "One hour only."

And then they vanished in a puff of smoke.

Sakumo watched the smoke disappear for a second before he turned to his other teammates. Naruko was looking at the floor, and Sasuke was twitching. He frowned and was about to open his mouth to talk when Naruko moved steadily towards the door as another group of genin passed her. The blonde bowed -_bowed-_ respectfully –_what the heck?-_ to the Jounin-sensei who was in charge, who was hiding a scowl, and paused at the doorway. She turned to the Hokage and bowed again, "By your leave, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage nodded at her before turning back to his papers.

Sakumo and Sasuke could only look at each other.

Odd.

Definitely, very odd.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"_That's not how you were taught."_

It stung.

She paused in mid-stride to stare purposelessly at the ground.

"Naruko-san! Hey!" she felt a hand land gently on her shoulder as she mentally prepared herself.

Smiling brightly at her pink-haired teammate, she chuckled and said, "What's the rush, Sakumo?"

From behind him, Sasuke had caught up: hands in his pockets and emotionless mask firmly in place. Sakumo stared at her dubiously, "Are you all right?"

She grinned wider, so much so that her blue eyes closed shut. She looked fox-like, "Course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, back with Hokage-sama..."

"Eh? What's this, Sakumo? You worried?"

He blushed as pink as his hair. Sasuke snorted and said, "What was that about, usuratonkachi?"

The blonde only scoffed as she waved a hand in dismissal, "That was nothing. I was just tired of gramps lecturing me all the time, ya know? Jiji can be even more of a nagger than Iruka-sensei sometimes."

They looked at her sceptically, and Naruko laughed loudly, "What is _up_ with you guys? You're acting like a bunch of mother hens!"

"It's just that... Hokage-sama mentioned Sayuri-sensei..."

Naruko's smile widened, "Hey," she said, chuckling, "That's old man gramps for you, always bringing up troublesome stuff."

"But," Sakumo insisted, "You seemed so tense, maybe you-"

"I have to go," Sasuke interrupted. Naruko turned to him and waved, "See ya Sasuke! Oi! Oi! It's only for one hour, all right, and then we meet Kakashi-sense!"

He grunted and walked away.

Sakumo watched him go with confused green eyes. And he thought Sasuke – heaven forbid – had also been worried. It seemed as if he didn't care at all about Naruko's strange behaviour. Well, maybe that was a bit justified since the blonde had been calling him names, sold him out, pounced on him, made a jab at his masculinity...

Yeah.

"Hey, Naruko-san," he started. The pink-haired genin turned to look at the spot where she had been standing only to find nothing but air.

She had disappeared.

"Argh! Why do people always do that to me?!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Well," Kakashi smiled as he appraised his students, "Glad to see that all of you are here."

Sakumo twitched. Naruko glared. Sasuke wished he was dead, and Hino didn't notice him at all. Not.

"You," Hino hissed as her fingers twitched dangerously, "You said _one_ hour."

"Yes, I did."

"Then _why _are you three – censored – _hours_ late?"

Sakumo stared at the black-haired girl with shocked eyes, "Wow," he said nervously, "That was... um..."

"That wasn't a very nice thing to say, Hino-sama."

The girl could only roll her eyes exasperatedly. She scoffed lightly before motioning the team with her hand.

"Anyway," she said seriously, "I hired you because I need band mates in this year's Battle of the Bands that'll happen in a week or so." She stared at the three genin seriously (lingering mostly on Sasuke-kuuuuun) and continued, "We need to win."

Everyone was silent until, "Hey, hey... what's a band?"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**(1)Fairy** – it is sometimes used as an insult to refer to a gay man (slang). Not that you already knew that.

**Sayuri-sensei is Kushina? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeenggk! I'm afraid for those who guessed, you're wrong! Teehee.**

**Well, I was actually disappointed that some readers would think me that humdrum. Geez, and here I thought I was doing an awesome job in imitating Naruto's notorious unpredictability. Oh well.**

**Wow, will you look at the date? In approximately nine days, school will open! And then I'll be a senior! Oh my gosh! It's the last year of high school! NOOOOOOOO! -Cough- This means I probably won't be able to update for a while... I'll miss you guys!  
**

**Anyway, you will notice that, as the story progresses, Naruko's character will also shift. More will be revealed about her geisha life and how, despite all appearances, she will never be able to truly run away from it. Naruko is different from Naruto yet, at the same time, the same. However, Naruko has lost someone important to her earlier on, and she is immensely affected by it. Sayuri-sensei (even though I haven't really introduced her, only mentioned her name and other tidbits of info – and she's also dead), will play a major role in the succeeding chapters.**

**Anyway, I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing this chapter.**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed – you give me the fuzzles. I like the fuzzles... **

**Driven –out.**

**P.S. I just had to try this:**

"**(O.o)**

**P.P.S. Okay. I'm cool. ~See you at the next chapter.**


	10. The S Word

**_Naruko_**

_'__The S Word'_**  
**

**XXXXXXXXXX_  
_**

_Then: _

8-Year-Old Uzumaki Naruko stared in awe at the beautiful room. She was sitting traditionally (that meant that her feet were curled underneath her butt, and her hands were nestled securely on her lap), sitting beside her was a rigidly poised yet casual Sandaime.

In front of them was the most exquisite canvas Naruko had ever seen. It was a larger-than-life painting of a (breathtakingly beautiful) red-orange fox with seemingly endless tails. The fox glared down at her with all of its unearthly beauty and regal grace, menacing yet so enticingly beautiful. Naruko couldn't take her eyes away from it.

The painting will probably be the most beautiful thing she will ever see.

However, she was proven wrong seconds later, when a red-haired beauty in her late twenties ambled gracefully in the luxurious room. She had hair even redder than the red the fox had sported in the painting, her eyes were such tranquil grey – which were so deceptively opposite of her fiery red hair – and had skin as pale as moonlight.

Her face was oval-shaped, her cheekbones high, her nose pert and her lips perfectly painted as red as her hair.

And her clothes… Naruko fidgeted unconsciously as she stared at the grand kimono the woman was wearing: it was the purest of white, held together by a golden obi that had intricate, blue thread tracing patterns over its fine silk. The sodogochi (sleeve opening) was colored gold, the juban (underclothes) that peeked through and framed her neck was also gold with intricate red-orange patterns, and the mimigoro (front panel) had a breath-taking orange-gold dragon design that looked mostly abstract.

Her kimono looked so plain (breathtakingly so). But Naruko _knew_ that _nothing_ could _possibly_ be _plain_ about the demigoddess floating towards them.

"Hokage-sama," she said. Her voice was like a whisper: delicate and barely heard through the silence of the room. The Sandaime bowed his head respectfully. Not because she was of higher rank, but because her regality demanded nothing less.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of the Leaf's highly esteemed Sandaime?" she said in that same whisper-like voice.

She regally (and slowly) set herself down in front of her visitors; and now that they were close, her skin wasn't really that pale – Naruko noted with increasing interest – but she was covered in white powder. She reached out and started making tea, and the little blonde had no clue such a wussy (in her opinion) task could look so beautiful.

Naruko kept staring at her, for once in her life she was awed beyond words, and didn't even pay attention when Hokage-jiji spoke.

"That's an interesting color, Sayuri-san," the Hokage started as the aforementioned geisha expertly poured tea into their cups. Sayuri smiled discreetly at him, "Yes. White has always been… my favorite color."

"Oh, really?" the Hokage said casually. He took a sip in his tea as he stared at her, "But isn't white quite… inappropriate for you?"

Sayuri once again smiled at him – she looked like she was keeping a funny secret – and said, "No, not at all, Hokage-sama."

"I see," he said.

There was comfortable silence in which both adults serenely drank their tea. Naruko hadn't even touched her cup, too intent on staring at the ethereally stunning being sitting in front of her. White was her favorite color? It looked pretty on her, and now that she's seen how beautiful white really is, she started to like it, too.

She jolted as Sayuri's grey eyes bored into her own, and it was suddenly hard to breathe. She felt as if her very soul was being carefully observed by slate grey eyes the color of stone. There was no coldness there, though, even though her eyes were the color of solidity embodied.

"And who might this be, Hokage-sama?" she asked.

"Her name is Uzumaki Naruko, Sayuri-san."

"Why is she here with you, Hokage-sama?" she inquired as she looked away from the blue-eyed blonde. Sayuri pushed Naruko's untouched cup closer to her, but Naruko was fixed on intently staring at the geisha.

"She's here to meet you, Sayuri-san," the Hokage stated calmly. He placed his empty cup down gently and added, "You are her new teacher, after all."

There was tense, heavy silence, and then, "I… Is that so, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes. Naruko is in her first year at the ninja academy."

That seemed to make the pretty woman more worried, Naruko observed. Sayuri glanced at the small ninja-in-training, not sure what to do or what to make out of the situation.

"She will, of course… drop out of the academy, right, Hokage-sama? If… she is to be trained…"

"No," Sarutobi said, "She'll be training in both arts."

Sayuri seemed to think it was ludicrous, "But that's impossible, Hokage-sama."

"I know," Sandaime said unblinkingly at her. The geisha smiled uneasily at him, "I'm not sure what I should do. This is all… Hokage-sama, I'm sure I'll manage, it's actually fine." She smiled assuredly at him, as if she sensed a mental ire in him that only she could see, "It's fine as long as she's in the kunoichi program. The program-"

"She's not in the kunoichi program, either, Sayuri-san."

There was once again tense and heavy silence. It stretched for what seemed like eons before Sayuri spoke again, her voice slightly high pitched, but it still held the same whisper-like quality, "This is… all so very sudden."

"I'm quite aware of that, Sayuri-san. And for that, I apologize."

Sayuri bowed her head gracefully, "No, of course not Hokage-sama. There is no need for an apology."

"I would assume that… You would…"

Sayuri smiled, "I can't say no, otherwise, Hokage-sama. I will take the child under my wing."

The Hokage smiled happily back at her, "I'm glad to hear that, Sayuri-san. But…"

"I understand your concern," Sayuri said as she started to rise, "I will try my best to boost her growth in both arts, and not hinder her progress as a ninja."

The Hokage seemed to sigh in relief at this before he too, stood up. Sayuri bowed at him and motioned him towards the door. The Hokage turned back to address the nonmoving Naruko, "Stay here for the day, Naruko-chan. Sayuri-san needs to tell you some stuff about being a… geisha."

Naruko could only nod dumbly at him.

When the Hokage was gone, Sayuri turned to her and smiled… evilly.

"Good riddens," she started. Gone were the whisper-like voice and the regality of a queen. Sayuri walked tiredly and unceremoniously plopped herself on the ground, sitting much like a baboon in a very heavy and hot kimono. She irritably thumbed the white makeup off her cheek, revealing a thick line of cream colored flesh. Naruko watched her in fascination as the previously prim and proper geisha ruined her ensemble.

Sayuri had gotten rid of her heavy obi, and was now reaching to remove her complicated hair ornaments. A few seconds later, hair as red as blood fell past her shoulders in waves, contrasting greatly against her white kimono.

Naruko once again thought that Sayuri was the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on.

"Well," Sayuri said loudly as she appraised the young ninja-in-training sitting stiffly in front of her, "Aren't you going to say something, brat?"

Naruko's blue eyes darted all over her face. She heavily scrutinized the geisha before and –in her usually loud and rude voice, she said, "You're weird, but _really _pretty. I like you."

Sayuri guffawed.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_Five Years Later_

Uzumaki Naruko, troublemaker extraordinaire and certified Kick-Ass Geisha ™, sighed for the umpteenth time that day and rolled her sapphire blue eyes. She experimentally pulled at the strings of an oddly shaped instrument that was hanging from her shoulder, supported by a thick strap, and had four thick and hard strings. The sound vibrated across the room as whatever she did caused a mixture of unusual yet pleasant sounds. She did it again, and was surprised to note that the sound was different this time. How strange…

Behind her, Haruno Sakumo, pink-haired and slightly wary, watched the blonde with interest before turning to the very odd contraption in front of him. It consisted of large cylindrically shaped barrels. Turning his head, he took notice of the things he was holding, and observed them as well: they were nothing but finely shaped pieces of thin wood. Experimentally, he banged them at the flat surface of the 'Drums', and noted with increasing interest how they made a hollow sound.

Uchiha Sasuke, who was currently twitching at the absurdness of it all, inaudibly sighed as he tapped one of the white keys of the… instrument. Truthfully, he had never seen any of whatever they were handling in his life. And, if the awed and curious looks his teammates were sporting were any indication, he'd guess that neither of the two idiots had seen them, either. He suppressed a frustrated growl and cursed, for the umpteenth time, the situation they were in.

He sent one Uzumaki Naruko a heated glare before concentrating on the thing in front of him.

If only they weren't in this useless mission, Sasuke thought approximately three seconds later, then he wouldn't have to endure this whole farce. If only the cursed Hino Akako hadn't begged and groveled at the Hokage to let Team 7 take the mission, and if only his teammates weren't so gullible and greedy at the prospect of an A-Rank mission…

The 'if's were endless.

Speak of the devil.

"Sasuke-kun!" exclaimed one love struck Hino Akako, previously Hino Natsume, daughter of a billionaire businessman and certified Rabid Fan Girl ™. The person she was addressing didn't even dignify her with a response as he stubbornly kept his eyes on the keyboard.

Hino was not deterred, "I _knew_ the keyboard would be the best for _you_, Sasuke-kun!" she said as she batted her lashes at him, "You look so _cool_!"

Naruko, having privy to the one sided conversation, scoffed at them. She absolutely loathed Hino Akako, because she reminded her so much of one other person she hated with a passion.

Hino, apparently, felt mutual, "And what's it to _you_, Blondie?" she screeched.

Naruko stopped plucking at the strings of the 'Base Guitar' as blue eyes glared vehemently. Her two teammates stiffened as they stared at her for a retort.

They weren't disappointed:

"Well! At least _mine's natural_!"

Sakumo sighed and rolled his light green eyes.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

After formally accepting the mission the heiress had provided them with, Team 7, along with Hino and all of her chaperons and bodyguards, travelled six days headed for Wind Country before they stopped at the civilian city where the 'Battle of the Bands' was going to be held.

For everyone, the trip had been made seemingly longer by Hino, who kept trying in _vain_ to gauge out a positive reaction from the ever stoic and miffed-beyond-words Uchiha, and, not surprisingly, Naruko, who always pissed the red-eyed girl with her snide comments about her unsuccessful attempts to 'seduce' Sasuke.

On the second day, both girls had managed to argue 87 times, piss each other off 183 times and delayed the trip for 7 hours.

But, seriously, who's counting?

Although the trip was unpleasant for everyone, it was not totally disastrous in Sakumo's opinion, who had gotten much closer to the blonde kunoichi during their travels. This was because Naruko had no one else to talk to (she would much rather kill herself than attempt a civil conversation with Hino and her boy meat, and Kakashi-sensei was unapproachable: the orange book was a much more effective tool to keep Naruko away than any warning ever would), so that left Sakumo.

In three days, Naruko and Sakumo had improved their relationship from tolerable teammate to possible friend, and Sakumo found himself pleasantly surprised at how genuinely nice Uzumaki Naruko turned out to be. For some reason, he had thought Naruko was the worst during their academy days, although he had a suspicion that his crush and undying love for Yamanaka Ino had something to do with it.

Sakumo found himself privy to information about the blonde that very few knew about: such as how she _hated_ perverts with a passion that almost rivaled Hino's obsession with Sasuke. And _that_ was saying something.

Uchiha Sasuke, despite appearing calm and cool on the outside on the entire duration of their travel, was actually pissed beyond comprehension. Not only was a disgusting leech continuously harping at him every five seconds, but the usuratonkachi was starting to get along really well with the dobe.

For a reason that was totally unknown to him, this bothered him a whole lot. And every time he tried to approach his only female teammate, she would avoid him as if her life depended on it. He found this even _more_ bothersome than her growing relationship with the dobe that, a small voice in his mind had stated, needed to be _stopped_ and _crushed_ before it would evolve into something else.

For the life of him, Sasuke didn't know why he was – twitch – _feeling_ this way. And for the love of all things _cannon_, he shouldn't even be _feeling anything_ but hate for He-Who-Must-Not-be-Named who he must _kill_ and _main _and _torture_.

And this bothered him, too.

However, the feelings and whatever that concerned the genin members of team 7 were suddenly put aside as Hino started to introduce to them the world of civilian entertainment that was music. And then they were preoccupied with the so-called 'mission'.

The 'mission' was to blend in as much as possible in the 'Battle of the Bands' and be Hino's band mates in the competition. For some strange reason or another, Hino had hired _ninja_ to perform with her, instead of professional musicians who would undoubtedly be ten times cheaper and a hundred times more skilled than they were.

The answer came when they had arrived at Hino's personal studio in the form of her billionaire father… who appeared star struck at the ninja's mere presence.

Hino Okahito, Billionaire Giant, was a huge fan of ninjas and had gushed over them.

Needless to say, it was a memorable experience when the business suit wearing gentleman had asked and prodded and _bribed_ them about anything ninja-related.

At the end of the first day in Dipag (the city in Wind they were stating in), all the members of team 7 were able to conclude that Hino Akako was _definitely_ Hino Okahito's daughter.

The trouble didn't stop there.

The day after Okahito's intrusion, Hino had introduced them to their instruments, and it was as comical as it was nightmarish:

First, Hino dragged Sasuke to a rectangular box with white and black keys and introduced it as a 'keyboard'. Sasuke had mentally scoffed at the stupidity of it all before he promptly banged his fists into them. The sound that resulted deafened them all into the next century. Hino, despite her obsession with the Uchiha, told him that that wasn't the way a keyboard should be handled and had hired the best piano teacher in Dipag to give him a crash course.

Next was Sakumo, and Hino looked at him before she handed him the Base Guitar. Sakumo looked at the odd instrument in his hands before he sent a questioning glance at her. By this point, Hino was at the brink of her non-existent tolerance. She yelled at him and pointedly asked him if he had even _seen_ a base guitar before. At Sakumo's head shake she angrily grabbed the guitar from him and had dragged him to the drums.

She forced him to sit down at the little chair and had handed him the drum sticks.

"This is the easiest instrument to handle. I was supposed to give it to the idiot over there, but I guess you should be the one to do it."

That had resulted in Sakumo's slight annoyance for her to grow into blatant dislike (Naruko's hatred for her could no longer possibly grow).

Ignoring Sakumo's scowl, Hino fixed a glare in the blonde kunoichi's direction before giving her the base guitar. The heiress smirked maliciously at her before ordering her to play. Glaring vehemently, Naruko plucked at the strings and was pleasantly surprised to hear a tolerable sound – deep and vibrating – from the instrument. She glanced at Hino and was even more pleased when she saw her gaping stupidly at her.

It seems only Naruko had a little clue about the instruments.

"Ha!" she yelled triumphantly, "I _knew_ I was great!"

Hino spluttered indignantly, "B-But! Why do _you_ know anything about these things when my Sasuke-kun doesn't?"

"That's easy!" Naruko said as she puffed her chest with pride, "It's obviously because Sasuke's a bastard and _I'm_ great!"

That statement had resulted in Hino blowing her temper as another verbal match ensued.

Days passed by as the contest drew nearer and nearer and the team of genin practiced. For the contest, each band only needed to play one song, and for that, the members of team 7 were grateful. It meant that they only needed to memorize one performance with their instrument, and that they needn't truly master it.

Naruko's geisha training had proven quite useful once again with her mastery of the samisen. Since the samisen was a stringed instrument, she was able to adapt quite fast with the base guitar, even though the shape was totally different. This little fact seemed to irritate Hino, who had undoubtedly noticed Naruko's ease and skill with the base guitar.

For Naruko, Hino's increasingly unpleasant attitude confused her. She had no idea why the heiress felt insulted when she herself performed the vocals _and_ the lead guitar. Although, she had the suspicion (and the glee) that the Uchiha's disinterest with her apparent talent had been the source of her ire.

Still, it was unfair that Hino had to voice her dissatisfactions through _her_. What was the use of her multiple bodyguards and chaperons – not to mention the dozen or so servants that catered to her every need – if she had to retort to having verbal matches with her just to vent her pent up frustrations? It was totally bratty of her to do so.

Sakumo, meanwhile, was starting to really _hate_ the heiress. Not only was she irrationally mean to his valued teammate and potential friend, she was also sickeningly sweet to the stoic Uchiha that her attitude bordered on DID. Although she didn't bother him, Sakumo felt that she was being very _bitchy_, and he knew that both of his teammates would wholeheartedly agree with him.

Even though the situation was quite stressful for everyone (Hino included) and the genin of team 7 were far too busy practicing, it still didn't hamper Naruko and Sakumo's growing friendship, thus the reason for Sakumo's dislike for Hino. Day by day, he was growing more and more protective of the blonde explosive note, although he didn't notice it himself.

As the days continued to pass, everyone was starting to get used to the hectic schedule that included waking up, practicing, Naruko and Hino's bickering, practicing, break, Naruko and Hino's bickering, and then finally, the day ended with Naruko and Hino bickering.

It got bored pretty fast, and by the end of the Konoha ninjas' 2nd week in Dipag, everyone had already adapted completely.

Of course, their seemingly mundane schedule, and their mission, plummeted when another of Naruko's and Hino's fight turned bad.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It was a seemingly ordinary day, and it was lunch break. The servant who was in charge of bringing them food probably got lost the large mansion they were staying in, since _that _would have been the only logical reason she was late with their lunches.

Hino, as impatient as ever, was pacing back and forth in front of the resting genin, "Argh!" she yelled, "What is taking that maid so _long_?"

Sasuke was busy brooding and Sakumo hated her too much to deign to reply. Hino huffed pompously before she decided to start yet _another_ verbal fight with the kunoichi – who was still busy plucking at the thick strings of the base.

All three teenagers had noticed Naruko's hardworking personality over the last few days. She was always concentrating with her instrument, even to the point of skipping a meal in order to achieve whatever goal she had in mind. If it wasn't for Sakumo, who would goad her every lunch break to eat, Naruko would have remained practicing with an empty stomach.

There were even some days when Naruko wouldn't listen to her pink-haired teammate and continue practicing, and this warranted the attention of the other dark-haired teammate. Sasuke would then proceed to tease her into eating, with a few insults thrown in, and then Naruko would finally concede. She would eat grudgingly, while occasionally glaring at the Uchiha, but she'd eat nonetheless.

Hino found it utterly annoying how the blonde could make Sasuke-kun talk _at all_, when all _she_ could get out of the Uchiha were death glares and the occasional wince.

Hino's glare doubled, "Will you cut that out! You're so noisy! And stop acting like some damsel in distress! You bother Sasuke-kun all the time with your lame drama!"

Naruko abruptly stopped playing, "Shut up, you hypocrite! _You're_ the one who was pretending to have a fever just a while ago! You were so pathetic; your precious _Sasuke-kun_ didn't even bat an eye when you fell off the stage!"

Hino reddened in both embarrassment and rage as a small voice in the back of her mind marveled at how similar Naruko's imitation of her voice had been. She pointed a finger at her, "I was _not_ acting! I felt dizzy-"

"Yeah right!" Naruko snorted. She stood up and placed herself at the center of the stage, where Hino had been standing, and then started to reenact the whole ordeal.

"Oh my!" she yelled in, eerily enough, Hino's high-pitched voice as her teammates watched her in fascination. "Everything's going dark! I'm so dizzy! Sasuke-kun, catch me!"

She was so accurate at imitating the spoiled heiress that Sakumo doubled over in laughter. Even Sasuke smirked amusedly at her.

"Y-You…" Hino spluttered as she shook with anger, she sent a glance at Sasuke and was enraged to see him entertained.

With a strangled yell, she lunged at the unsuspecting blonde. Naruko dodged her assault with ease as Hino landed in an uncomfortable heap on the floor. Naruko wagged her finger at her, "Nah uh uh!" she said, "I'm a ninja, you know," she added smugly as she crossed her arms.

"Shut up you… you… you _slut_!"

There was a moment of tense, heavy silence.

Usually, any insult coming from Hino would make her mad, but the S Word was an insult that Uzumaki Naruko would take from _no one_. Glaring vehemently at Hino, Naruko spoke with barely contained fury, "_Don't_ call me that. I'm _not_ a _slut_."

Sakumo clenched and unclenched his fists. Hino had crossed the line!

"Ha! I hit a mark didn't I?" Hino taunted as she pompously hosted herself off the floor. "Serves you right you little _whore_! Sasuke-kun is _mine_, you hear me?"

"Shut up, Hino!"

It wasn't Naruko.

All of them stared at the pink-haired lad who had spoken in shock. The glare and the look of hate that crossed Sakumo's features looked so out of place that Hino winced. Sakumo walked over to Naruko and shielded her behind him, "Shut up," he repeated.

Sasuke watched everything through disbelieving eyes. Something twisted at the pit of his stomach at the sight of the righteously angry Haruno. Sasuke told himself he was merely hungry even as he neared his teammates. He glanced at Naruko: she looked genuinely hurt at her words even though she was glaring at the red-eyed heiress. Something… _painful_ knotted at his stomach at the sight of her, and Sasuke felt unnaturally angry at Hino, too.

He didn't even know he was glaring at her until Hino told him, "N-Not you, too… S-Sasuke-kun?"

"Apologize, Hino," Sakumo hissed, "Apologize to Naruko and take back what you said!"

Naruko couldn't speak; she was too shell-shocked that her teammates would even defend her. Something warm crept inside her as she stared at the back of her teammate's pink head. Even Sakumo. Silent and usually timid Sakumo was the first to stand up for her.

At the academy, Sakumo had _always_ been a scardy-cat that it grated on her nerves. In her opinion, Sakumo was a spineless wuss with even wussier hair. But… The last few days had proven that not only was Sakumo really kind and warm, he was also funny, loyal, and a whole other things that Naruko liked.

And now he was defending her. Like a friend would do.

"Well?" Sakumo demanded harshly. Hino's eyes were welling up with unshed tears. She looked hurtfully at Sasuke, and then at the pink-haired lad defending Naruko. She choked back a sob before, "No!"

Hino hiccoughed and glared fiercely at Naruko, "I won't ever say s-sorry! She d-deserved every word! Every i-insult!"

Sasuke clenched his fists while Sakumo's face was contorted with hate. Naruko looked torn between retaliation and reconciliation, but with the same angry look in her eyes. Dammit! Why did she have to cry? It made things so much harder!

But Naruko was resolved, "That's not true," she said evenly, her tone surprising both of her chivalrous teammates. Staring resolutely at the crying girl, Naruko repeated her statement, "That's not true, and you know it. Take it back, Hino."

Being called the S Word was the worst possible insult. Naruko knew that if it was any other snide comment, she'd have passed it over, because she just wasn't the type to hold grudges. But this…

Hino glared fiercely, "NO!"

With a strangled sob, Hino ran past a very distressed servant – who almost let go of the rather heavy silver tray she was carrying – and slammed the door behind her.

The maid gingerly placed their food on top of a low table and motioned for team 7 to eat.

Sakumo was still seething with anger when Naruko spoke, her voice filled with restrained tears, "Dammit!" she yelled. Sasuke sighed before ambling towards the table to eat, "Let's just eat. She'll come to this afternoon. Don't worry about it… usuratonkachi, dobe."

Sakumo looked at the Uchiha, "What should I be worried about?"

Before Sasuke could even deign Sakumo a response, the door to the room opened once more to admit a nervous-looking maid. She bowed jerkily once she got close enough to Team 7 and said, "The master wishes to speak to you. He is available at the lounge."

All three genin shared a look between them. Naruko nodded pensively at the maid and Sasuke spoke, "We'll be down shortly."

Leaving their cooling lunch on the table, all slowly trudged towards the lounge, anxiously awaiting what would happen.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Ah, there you are!" Hino Okahito exclaimed jovially.

Sakumo and Naruko glanced at each other, confused, while Sasuke twitched in non-jealousy. Naruko was fully expecting a scolding from Hino's father, but it seemed this was not the case.

"Erm," Naruko started hesitatingly, "You, er, called for us, Okahito-san?"

"Yes, yes!" the man answered enthusiastically, gesturing for them to sit down in one of the gathered couches at the lounge. Sakumo glanced at the fat, balding man in an expensive-looking pinstriped suit who was seated at a chair opposite Hino's father.

The three plopped down on their seats as Okahito continued, "These are the three _ninja_ I've been telling you about, Gatou-san. Please meet Uchiha Sasuke-kun, Haruno Sakumo-kun and Uzumaki Naruko-kun."

The stout man called 'Gatou' tweaked the tip of his goatee, "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, looking for the world like he didn't mean it, "I am Gatou. I'm sure you've heard of me."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N**

**Wow. It's been, what? Eight, twelve years? **

**Huh.**

**Anyway, the story's progressing s-l-o-w-l-y, but there it is. You can see that Sakumo and Naruko's relationship is 'evolvong', so to speak. Sasuke's thrown out of the loop, and Hino's acting like a brat as usual. **

**To tell you the truth, Hino's dad, Okahito, was modeled after Arthur Weasley from Harry Potter with his fascination with ninjas. Okahito believes ninjas to be a sort of alien race that need to be prodded and displayed for billionaire-giant-guests.**

**Well. Nothing more to say, really. **

**Toodles.  
**


End file.
